Nicknamed “The Last Frontier” located in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, Alaska shipped US$5.26 billion worth of export products around the world in 2023.

That dollar amount results from an 14.1% increase from $4.6 billion four years earlier in 2020.

Year over year, the overall value of Alaskan exports fell by -5.6% compared to $5.57 billion worth of Alaskan exports starting in 2022.

Alaska ranks among the 5 smallest exporters by state, badly lagging front-runners including California, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, New York State and New Jersey. The value of Alaska’s exports equals 0.3% of the United States’ overall exported products sold in 2023.

Based on research from Statista, Alaska’s exported products represent 9.9% of the state’s total economic output or real Gross Domestic Product ($53.01 billion).

Given Alaska’s population of 733,406 people, its total $5.26 billion in 2023 exports translates to roughly $7,200 for every resident in the “Last Frontier” state. That dollar metric falls below the average $7,600 per capita one year earlier during 2022.

Alaska’s unemployment rate was 4.5% at the end of July 2024, down from 4.6% at April 2024 per YCharts.

Alaska’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Alaska global shipments during 2023. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Alaska.

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

1. Zinc ores, concentrates: US$915.6 million (17.4% of Alaska’s total exports)
2. Gold (unwrought): $775.2 million (14.7%)
3. Frozen fish meat: $439.5 million (8.3%)
4. Lead ores, concentrates: $419 million (8%)
5. Frozen Alaska pollock fillets: $325.8 million (6.2%)
6. Miscellaneous frozen fish: $287.5 million (5.5%)
7. Crude oil: $249.7 million (4.7%)
8. Frozen livers, roes: $226.1 million (4.3%)
9. Civilian aircraft, engines, other parts: $215.3 million (4.1%)
10. Frozen Pacific salmon: $177.3 million (3.4%)

Alaska’s top 10 exports generated over three-quarters (76.6%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Among the above export categories, the leading gainer was civilian aircraft including aircraft engines and other parts (up 113.3% from 2022).

In second place were Alaskan exports of crude oil (up 46.7%) trailed by frozen Alaska pollock fillets (up 24.6%) then unwrought non-monetary gold (up 21.9%), miscellaneous frozen fish (up 18.2) then lead ores and concentrates (up 16%).

The severest year-over-year decliner was Alaska’s shipments of zinc ores and concentrates, dragged down by a -37% reduction from 2022.

More Key Facts about Alaska’s International Trade

Alaska incurred an overall US$2 billion surplus exporting and importing products during 2023. That dollar amount reflects a 12.6% advance from $1.8 billion in black ink for 2022.

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 Alaska’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2023.

1. Processed petroleum oils (not bidiesel): US$1.744 billion (53.9% of Alaska’s total imports)
2. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $182.7 million (5.6%)
3. Computer parts and accessories: $82.1 million (2.5%)
4. Light petroleum oils (not biodiesel): $78.2 million (2.4%)
5. Crude petroleum oils: $74.1 million (2.3%)
6. Iron or steel casing and tubng for drilling: $68.9 million (2.1%)
7. Electronic circuit processors, controllers: $56.5 million (1.7%)
8. Solid-state semiconductor storage devices: $56.1 million (1.7%)
9. Photovoltaic solar semiconductor devices: $54.7 million (1.7%)
10. Copper ores, concentrates: $34.7 million (1.1%)

Alaska has highly positive net exports in the international trade of zinc, gold and seafood-related products, and lead. In turn, these cashflows indicate Alaska’s competitive advantages under those product categories.

Major Alaskan Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased 89.8% worth of the total value of products exported from Alaska during 2023.

1. mainland China: US$1.17 billion (22.2% of Alaska’s total exports)
2. South Korea: $718.1 million (13.6%)
3. Japan: $715.1 million (13.6%)
4. Australia: $602.2 million (11.4%)
5. Canada: $596.4 million (11.3%)
6. Netherlands: $298 million (5.7%)
7. Switzerland: $277.4 million (5.3%)
8. Taiwan: $136.8 million (2.6%)
9. Spain: $110.5 million (2.1%)
10. Germany: $103 million (2%)

Alaska’s top trade partners in Asia (mainland China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan) purchased over half (52%) of the overall value of exported goods from Alaska–the U.S. state also known as “The Last Frontier”.

The percentage for top Asian customers greatly exceeds the 15% of Alaskan exported goods purchased by leading European trade partners (Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain and Germany)

The percentage for trading partners in North America was 12.2% for 2023.

Alaskan Export Companies

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

According to Zippia, below are examples of relatively large companies based in Alaska.

• Alaska USA (credit union, diversified financial services)
• Silver Bay Seafoods (fish, other seafoods)
• Calista (telecommunications)
• Ravn Alaska (airliner)
• Copper River Seafoods (fish, other seafoods)
• Goldbelt, Inc. (asset management, equipment leasing, services)

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

Alaska’s capital is Juneau, a city named for Canadian gold prospector and miner Joseph Juneau.

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

Research Sources:
Department of Numbers, Alaska GDP (dollars shown in real terms). Accessed on September 3, 2024

FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on September 3, 2024

Forbes, Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 3, 2024

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2019 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on September 3, 2024

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 3, 2024

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 3, 2024

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on September 3, 2024

Statista, Real gross domestic product of Alaska. Accessed on September 3, 2024

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Alaska. Accessed on September 3, 2024

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on September 3, 2024

Wikipedia, Alaska. Accessed on May 9, 2023

Wikipedia, List of Alaska Companies. Accessed on September 3, 2024

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on September 3, 2024

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on September 3, 2024

Zippia, These are the 100 largest companies in Alaska. Accessed on September 3, 2024