Nicknamed “The Evergreen State” and located in America’s Pacific Northwest region, the State of Washington shipped US$65.2 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2025.

That dollar metric results from a 6.6% increase from $61.2 billion four years earlier in 2022.

Year over year, the overall value of Washington’s exports accelerated by 12.8% compared to $57.8 billion for 2024.

Washington ranks eighth among America’s most lucrative exporters by state behind leaders including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana and Illinois.

The value of Washington state’s exports equals about 3% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2025 worth $2.178 trillion. That percentage represents an advance from 2.8% for the prior year.

Washington’s exported products represent 7.3% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product (an estimated $888.9 billion in 2025).

Given Washington’s population of 8.1 million people in 2025, its US$65.2 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $8,050 for every resident in the Evergreen State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $7,250 one year earlier during 2024.

Washington state’s unemployment rate averaged 4.6% for 2025, up from an average 4.35% one year earlier per YCharts.

Washington’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Washington global shipments during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Washington.

Figures are shown at the more granular six-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, for more precise product identification.

1. Civilian aircraft, full or engines or other parts: US$28.7 billion (43.9% of Washington’s total exports)
2. Corn: $5.1 billion (7.7%)
3. Refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $2.4 billion (3.6%)
4. Wheat, meslin: $2.1 billion (3.2%)
5. Soya beans: $1.1 billion (1.7%)
6. Frozen potatoes: $1.09 billion (1.7%)
7. Fresh apples: $819.3 million (1.3%)
8. Soya bean flours: $782.9 million (1.2%)
9. Soya bean oilcake: $526.2 million (0.8%)
10. Voice, image and data machines: $513.7 million (0.8%)

Washington’s top 10 exports represent nearly two-thirds (65.9%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Soya bean oilcake represents the fastest grower among Washington’s top 10 export categories, up by 145.7% from 2024 to 2025.

In second place for improving export sales was civilian aircraft either fully assembled, aircraft engines or other parts via a 65.2% advance.

Posting the third-fastest gain was corn up 59.3%, ahead of voice, image and data machinery (up 53.8%).

Double-digit decliners year over year were for Washington’s exports of soya beans (down -76.3% from 2024), soya bean flours (down -26.5%), then refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel (down -14.9%).

More Key Facts about Washington’s International Trade

Washington State earned an overall US$9.5 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2025. That dollar amount reflects a significant reversal from the -$3.8 billion deficit one year earlier in 2024.

Another way of saying surplus or deficit is positive or negative net exports. In a nutshell, the term “net exports” quantifies the amount by which foreign spending on a state’s goods or services exceeds or lags that same state’s spending on foreign goods or services.

Below are Washington’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2025.

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$5.2 billion (9.3% of Washington’s total imports)
2. Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): $4.1 billion (7.3%)
3. Natural gas (gaseous state): $2.7 billion (4.8%)
4. Video game consoles, machinery: $2.2 billion (3.9%)
5. Automobiles (both spark ignition plus electric engines): $1.9 billion (3.4%)
6. Enriched uranium: $1.6 billion (2.9%)
7. Large automobiles (piston engine): $1.1 billion (2%)
8. Solid state semi-conductor storage devices: $725.4 million (1.3%)
9. Miscellaneous digital processing units: $640.8 million (1.1%)
10. Unroasted, caffeinated coffee: $619.5 million (1.1%)

Historically Washington has had to endure negative net exports in the international trade of crude petroleum oils, automobiles and gas. In turn, these cashflows indicate Washington’s strong competitive global disadvantages under these product categories.

Washington State’s Major Trading Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased well over two-thirds (71.1%) worth of the total value of products exported from Washington during 2025.

1. mainland China: US$10.2 billion (15.6% of Washington’s total exports)
2. Canada: $7 billion (10.7%)
3. South Korea: $5.6 billion (8.6%)
4. Japan: $5.1 billion (7.8%)
5. Mexico: $4.1 billion (6.3%)
6. Germany: $2.9 billion (4.4%)
7. Taiwan: $2.2 billion (3.4%)
8. United Kingdom: $1.87 billion (2.9%)
9. United Arab Emirates: $1.85 billion (2.8%)
10. Philippines: $1.82 billion (2.8%)

Washington’s top trade partners located in Asia (mainland China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines) imported 38.1% of the overall value of exported goods from the Evergreen State.

That leading percentage for Asia compares with 17% of Washington State’s total export sales to its North American trade partners Canada and Mexico.

Washingtonian Export Companies

Ten of Washington-headquartered corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. Selected examples are listed below.

• Alaska Air Group (airliner)
• Amazon.com (global e-commerce, cloud computing)
• Expeditors International (freight forwarding, customs brokerage)
• Microsoft Corporation (software, technology products)
• Paccar (commercial vehicles, auto parts)
• Weyerhaeuser (forest products)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related products or services category in which each business sells.
 

Washington’s capital is Olympia, a city nicknamed “Oly” and “O-Town”.

See also Ohio’s Top 10 Exports, Alabama’s Top 10 Exports, Oregon’s Top 10 Exports, Louisiana’s Top 10 Exports and Tennessee’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on February 24, 2026

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on February 24, 2026

GeoLounge, Fortune 500 List by State. Accessed on February 24, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 24, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on February 24, 2026

Statista, QuickFacts: Washington. Accessed on February 24, 2026

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Washington. Accessed on February 24, 2026

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on February 24, 2026

Wikipedia, Washington (state). Accessed on February 24, 2026

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on February 24, 2026

Wikipedia, List of Washington (state) companies. Accessed on February 24, 2026

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on February 24, 2026