Nicknamed the “Mountain State” and located in America’s south more specifically in the Appalachian region, West Virginia shipped US$4.65 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2025.

That dollar amount results from a -40.4% downturn from $7.8 billion four years earlier in 2022.

Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from West Virginia dropped by -4.6% compared to $4.9 billion for 2024.

West Virginia ranks as America’s 43rd most lucrative exporter by state well behind front-runners including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana, Illinois and Florida.

The value of West Virginia’s exports equals 0.2% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2025, compared to 0.3% for the prior year.

West Virginia’s exported products represent 4.3% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2025 ($109.3 billion).

Given West Virginia’s population of 1.8 million people, its total US$4.65 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $2,600 for every resident in the Mountain State. That dollar metric lags the average $3,200 per capita in 2024.

West Virginia’s unemployment rate was 4.3% at then end of May 2026, up from the 4% jobless rate one year earlier per YCharts.

West Virginia’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Spark-ignition reciprocating piston engines: US$1 billion (21.8% of total West Virginian exports)
2. Civilian aircraft, engines, other aircraft parts: $321.5 million (6.9%)
3. Coal (non-agglomerated, bituminous): $269.8 million (5.8%)
4. Vehicle parts, accessories: $239.5 million (5.2%)
5. Miscellaneous polyethers: $162.4 million (3.5%)
6. Specific polyamides: $139.8 million (3%)
7. Polyacetals in primary form: $129.5 million (2.8%)
8. Aluminum alloy bars, rods, non-hollow profiles: $110.5 million (2.4%)
9. Propylene copolymers in primary forms: $109 million (2.3%)
10. Miscellaneous polyesters (unsaturated): $71.3 million (1.5%)

West Virginia’s top 10 exports generated over half (55.2%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Motor vehicle parts and accessories represent the fastest grower among West Virginia’s top 10 export categories, up by 300.4% from 2024 to 2025.

In second place for improving export sales were aluminum alloy bars, rods and non-hollow profiles, gaining 16.8%.

Other advances were made for exported civilian aircraft fully assembled or engines and other aircraft parts (up 8%) then miscellaneous unsaturated polyesters (up 1.4%).

Double-digit percentage declines among West Virginia’s top 10 export products were incurred for exported polyamides (down -30.1% from 2024), non-agglomerated bituminous coal (down -27.4%), polyacetals in primary form (down -14.1%), spark-ignition reciprocating piston engines (down -13.5%) then miscellaneous polyethers (down -10.3%).

More Key Facts about West Virginia’s International Trade

West Virginia posted an overall -US$237.5 million trade deficit exporting and importing products during 2025. That dollar amount reverses a $29.9 million surplus for 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.

West Virginia paid a total US$4.9 billion for imports during 2025.

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

1. Turbo-jets (higher-thrust): US$475.1 million (9.7% of total West Virginian imports)
2. Metal rolling mills parts: $448.8 million (9.2%)
3. Spark plugs for internal combustion engines: $274.3 million (5.6%)
4. Metal rolling mills parts: $133.7 million (2.7%)
5. Spark plugs for internal combustion engines: $132.5 million (2.7%)
6. Electric starter ignition equipment: $111.7 million (2.3%)
7. Aluminum alloys (unwrought): $104.7 million (2.1%)
8. Motor vehicle gear boxes: $94.1 million (1.9%)
9. Miscellaneous fans: $83.2 million (1.7%)
10. Physical or chemical analysis instrument parts: $82.3 million (1.7%)

West Virginia has positive net exports in the international trade of spark-ignition engines and coal. In turn, these cashflows indicate West Virginia’s competitive advantages under those product categories.

West Virginia’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased over four-fifths (82.2%) worth of the total value of products exported from West Virginia during 2025.

1. Canada: US$2 billion (44.1% of total West Virginian exports)
2. mainland China: $322.5 million (6.9%)
3. Germany: $232.1 million (5%)
4. Brazil: $223.8 million (4.8%)
5. Netherlands: $200.2 million (4.3%)
6. Belgium: $195.7 million (4.2%)
7. Mexico: $184.7 million (4%)
8. India: $156.4 million (3.4%)
9. South Korea: $138.4 million (3%)
10. Japan: $117.4 million (2.5%)

West Virginia’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and, to a lesser extent, Mexico) bought 48.1% of the state’s export sales in 2025.

In comparison, customers in Asia (mainland China, India, South Korea and Japan) imported 15.8% of West Virginian exports by value. Another 13.5% arrived in leading import countries in Europe (Germany, Netherlands and Belgium).

West Virginian Export Companies

Not one West Virginia-based corporation ranks among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses.

According to Zippia, below are examples of larger companies based in West Virginia.

• Allegheny Wood Products (hardwood/lumber goods)
• Homer Laughlin China (dinnerware)
• Royal Vendors (vending machines)
• Superior Fibers, LLC (heating/air conditioning/filtration products)
• WesBanco (bank holding company)
• Woodcraft (woodworking tools, other supplies)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the products or services which each business sells, some of which are related to international trade.
 

West Virginia’s capital is Charleston, a city nicknamed “Charlie West”.

See also Indiana’s Top 10 Exports, Nebraska’s Top 10 Exports, Wisconsin’s Top 10 Exports, Delaware’s Top 10 Exports and New Hampshire’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on July 16, 2026

Forbes, 2022 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on July 16, 2026

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2022 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on July 16, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 16, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 16, 2026

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on July 16, 2026

Statista, Real gross domestic product of West Virginia. Accessed on July 16, 2026

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: West Virginia. Accessed on July 16, 2026

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on July 16, 2026

Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in West Virginia. Accessed on July 16, 2026

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on July 16, 2026

Wikipedia, West Virginia. Accessed on July 16, 2026

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on July 16, 2026

Zippia, These are the 100 largest companies in West Virginia. Accessed on July 16, 2026