Shipments from America’s top 20 export states were worth a total US$1.603 trillion in 2023. From a national perspective, that dollar metric translates to nearly four-fifths (79.4%) of overall exports from the United States of America ($2.019 trillion).

The dollar amount for the leading 20 export states reflects a 43.8% increase since 2020 but a -2.9% decline from 2022 to 2023.

To give perspective, America’s total revenues from exporting products rose a modestly smaller 41.2% from 2020 to 2023. Overall US export sales fell -2.2% year over year.

America’s top 5 export states–Texas, California, Louisiana, New York state and Illinois–collected 44.6% of all American export sales in 2023.

In addition to showcasing the major 20 export states, presented below are the 10 most valuable exports from each of the 5 main export states.

Please also remember to scroll down to the section entitled Biggest Export by Major American Exporting State for a snapshot of the biggest export for each of the 20 top US exporting states.

America’s Top 20 Export States

Below are the top 20 American states that exported the highest dollar value worth of products during 2023. Combined, these export-leading states represent over four-fifths of the nation’s total exports.

1. Texas: US$444.6 billion (22% of US total)
2. California: $178.7 billion (8.9%)
3. Louisiana: $100.2 billion (5%)
4. New York: $97.8 billion (4.8%)
5. Illinois: $78.7 billion (3.9%)
6. Florida: $68.9 billion (3.4%)
7. Michigan: $64.9 billion (3.2%)
8. Washington: $61.2 billion (3%)
9. Indiana: $56.1 billion (2.8%)
10. Ohio: $55.8 billion (2.8%)
11. Pennsylvania: $52.9 billion (2.6%)
12. Georgia: $49.8 billion (2.5%)
13. New Jersey: $43.3 billion (2.1%)
14. North Carolina: $42.2 billion (2.1%)
15. Kentucky: $40.2 billion (2%)
16. Tennessee: $38.1 billion (1.9%)
17. South Carolina: $37.3 billion (1.8%)
18. Massachusetts: $35.2 billion (1.7%)
19. Arizona: $28.8 billion (1.4%)
20. Wisconsin: $28 billion (1.4%)

Among America’s 20 major export states, the greatest percentage increases belong to Indiana (up 23.9% from 2022), South Carolina (up 18.4%), Kentucky (up 16.6%), Massachusetts (up 7.7%) and Pennsylvania (up 6.2%).

The severest year-over-year decliners among the top 20 US export states were Louisiana (down -17.4% from 2022), New York state (down -10.7%), Texas (down -8.8%), New Jersey (down -6.3%), then California (down 4%).

Please peruse the Most Valuable Exported Product by State section further down this article.

Top 10 Exports from Texas

Below are the top 10 exports from Texas during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage of each export category compared to the total value of all Texan exports.

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$104.2 billion (23.4% of total Texan exports)
2. Refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $34.4 billion (7.7%)
3. Light petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $33.1 billion (7.4%)
4. Liquified propane: $17.8 billion (4%)
5. Integrated circuits (processors/controllers): $11.6 billion (2.6%)
6. Civilian aircraft, aircraft engines, other parts: $10 billion (2.2%)
7. Natural gas (liquid): $9.25 billion (2.1%)
8. Computer parts and accessories: $6.1 billion (1.4%)
9. Machinery for making semi-conductor devices: $5.9 billion (1.3%)
10. Natural gas (gaseous state): $4.9 billion (1.1%)

Texas’ top 10 exports accounted for over half (53.3%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Civilian aircraft, aircraft engines and other parts represent the fastest grower among the top 10 Texan export categories by dollar value, up by 13.1% from 2022 to 2023.

The only other top export gainer was processors and controllers for electronic integrated circuits, posting a modest 0.7% year-over-year upturn.

The severest year-over-year reductions among Texas’ top 10 export products belong to natural gas in gaseous state (down -54% from 2022), computer parts or accessories (down -31.5%), liquefied natural gas (down -24.4%), liquefied propane (down -19.9%), and refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel (down -16%).

Top 10 Exports from California

Below are the top 10 exports from California during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage of each export category compared to the total value of all Californian exports.

1. Civilian aircraft and aircraft engines or other parts: US$6.8 billion (3.8% of California’s total exports)
2. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $5.2 billion (2.9%)
3. Refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $3.9 billion (2.2%)
4. Electronic integrated circuits: $3.7 billion (2.1%)
5. Parts or accessories for making semi-conductor devices: $3.3 billion (1.8%)
6. Shelled almonds $2.88 billion (1.6%)
7. Medical, dental or veterinarian appliances: $2.87 billion (1.6%)
8. Computer parts or accessories: $2.87 billion (1.6%)
9. Diagnostic or laboratory reagents: $2.78 billion (1.6%)
10. Diamonds (worked, non-industrial): $2.6 billion (1.5%)

California’s top 10 exports represent just over one-fifth (20.6%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel was the fastest grower among California’s top 10 export categories, up by 19.6% from 2022 to 2023.

In second place for improving export sales were modems or similar reception and transmission devices thanks to a 17.9% gain.

Shipments of medical, dental or veterinarian instruments posted the third-fastest improvement via a 9.6% increase in value compared to 2022.

The severest decliners among California’s top 10 export products were worked diamonds (down -38.4% from 2022) then parts or accessories for making semi-conductor devices (down -26.7%) and computer parts or accessories (down -20.6%).

Top 10 Exports from Louisiana

Below are the top 10 exports from Louisiana during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage of each export category compared to the total value of all exports from Louisiana.

1. Natural gas (liquid): US$22.2 billion (22.2% of Louisiana’s total exports)
2. Miscellaneous petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $16.3 billion (16.2%)
3. Soya beans: $14.4 billion (14.3%)
4. Crude petroleum oils: $11.5 billion (11.4%)
5. Corn: $6.1 billion (6.1%)
6. Light petroleum oils: $3.6 billion (3.6%)
7. Solid residues including soya bean oil-cake: $3.4 billion (3.4%)
8. Petroleum coke, uncalcined: $1 billion (1%)
9. Wheat (excluding durum): $976.4 million (1%)
10. Non-agglomerated bituminous coal: $880.2 million (0.9%)

Louisiana’s top 10 exports generated four-fifths (80.1%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Crude oil represents the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 53.4% from 2022 to 2023.

The other commodity recording higher export sales was solid residues including soya bean oil-cake, appreciating by 24%.

The severest year-over-year declines among Louisiana’s top 10 export product categories were for corn exports (down -34.5% from 2022), wheat and meslin (down -32.9%), liquefied natural gas (down -30.3%), uncalcined petroleum coke (down -27.9%), and light petroleum oils (down -27.2%).

Top 10 Exports from New York

Below are the top 10 exports from New York state during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage of each export category compared to the total value of all exports from New York.

1. Diamonds (unmounted): US$13.4 billion (13.7% of New York’s total exports)
2. Gold (unwrought): $12.4 billion (12.7%)
3. Jewelry made with precious metals: $7.6 billion (7.7%)
4. Hand-drawn paintings, drawings under 101 years old: $5.1 billion (5.2%)
5. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds: $2.24 billion (2.3%)
6. Hand-drawn paintings, drawings over 100 years old: $1.4 billion (1.4%)
7. Civilian aircraft including engines, parts: $1.16 billion (1.2%)
8. Electronic integrated circuits (processors/controllers): $1.03 billion (1.1%)
9. Original sculptures, statues: $887.1 million (0.9%)
10. Internal combustion piston engines: $884.1 million (0.9%)

New York’s top 10 exports represent 47% of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

The fastest-growing exports from New York in 2023 were civilian aircraft and aircraft engines or other parts propelled by a 36.2% gain from 2022.

In second place were exports of rubies, sapphires and emeralds (up 33.9% from 2022) ahead of jewelry made with precious metals (up 32.8%) and hand-drawn paintings and drawings over 100 years old (up 16.8%).

The severest decliners among New York’s top 10 export products were unwrought gold (down -49.8% from 2022), hand-drawn paintings and drawings (down -17.6%), then original sculptures and statues (down -13.8%).

Top 10 Exports from Illinois

Below are the top 10 exports from Illinois during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage of each export category compared to the total value of all goods exported from Illinois.

1. Miscellaneous medications: US$3.63 billion (4.6% of Illinois’ total exports)
2. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $2.74 billion (3.5%)
3. Antisera, other blood fractions: $2.14 billion (2.7%)
4. Soya beans: $2.06 billion (2.6%)
5. Corn: $2.03 billion (2.6%)
6. Dumpers for off-highway use: $1.93 billion (2.5%)
7. Unwrought gold: $1.22 billion (1.5%)
8. Electro-diagnostic apparatus, parts: $1.15 billion (1.5%)
9. Automobile parts, accessories: $1.1 billion (1.4%)
10. Civilian aircraft, engines, other parts: $1.05 billion (1.3%)

Illinois’ top 10 exports represent almost one-quarter (24.2%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

The fastest-growing export from Illinois from 2022 to 2023 was unwrought gold, thanks to a 140.1% advance.

Other top year-over-year improvements were for Illinoisan exports of modems and similar reception or transmission devices (up 56.6%), corn (up 39.5%), civilian aircraft, engines or other parts (up 29.2%), then motor vehicle parts or accessories (up 20.6%).

The only year-over-year decliners among Illinois’ top 10 export products were exported antisera and other blood fractions (down -2.6%) and soya beans (down -0.5%).
 

Most Valuable Exported Product by Major American Export State

The following list showcases the biggest export product for each of America’s top 20 export states. The list itself is sorted in descending order starting with the states that exported the highest value in overall goods during 2023.

1. Texas: crude petroleum oils
2. California: civilian aircraft including engines, other parts
3. Louisiana: liquid natural gas
4. New York: unmounted diamonds
5. Illinois: miscellaneous medications
6. Florida: civilian aircraft including engines, other parts
7. Michigan: trucks powered by piston engine
8. Washington: civilian aircraft including engines, other parts
9. Indiana: miscellaneous medications
10. Ohio: civilian aircraft including engines, other parts
11. Pennsylvania: miscellaneous medications
12. Georgia: civilian aircraft including engines, other parts
13. New Jersey: computers
14. North Carolina: immunological products
15. Kentucky: civilian aircraft including engines, other parts
16. Tennessee: medical/dental/veterinarian instruments
17. South Carolina: civilian aircraft including engines, other parts
18. Massachusetts: vaccines
19. Arizona: civilian aircraft including engines, other parts
20. Wisconsin: civilian aircraft including engines, other parts

 
In general, the most lucrative exported commodity for the above major exporting states is civilian aircraft which includes engines and other aircraft parts. Nine of the above-listed American states have aircraft including engines and other parts as their most valuable export.

Miscellaneous medications were the most valuable exported product for 3 top states.

See also Florida’s Top 10 Exports, Michigan’s Top 10 Exports, Alabama’s Top 10 Exports, Utah’s Top 10 Exports and Hawaii’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on May 2, 2024

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 2, 2024

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on May 2, 2024