Nicknamed “The First State” and “The Diamond State” located in America’s Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions, Delaware shipped US$4.92 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2023.

That dollar amount reflects a 25.8% gain from $3.91 billion four years earlier in 2020.

Year over year, the overall value of Delaware’s exported goods slipped by -6.1% compared to $5.24 billion in 2022.

Delaware ranks as America’s 43rd biggest exporter by state far behind front-runners Texas, California, Louisiana, New York state and Illinois.

The value of Delaware’s exports equals 0.2% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2023, down from 0.2% one year prior.

Based on research from IBIS World, Delaware’s exported products represent 7.4% of the state’s total economic output or Gross Domestic Product in 2023 ($66.5 billion).

Given Delaware’s population of 1,044,855 people, its total $4.92 billion in 2023 exports translates to roughly $4,700 for every resident in the First State. That dollar metric lags the average $5,100 per capita in 2022.

Delaware’s unemployment rate was 3.9% at the end of April 2024, up from 3.8% one year prior per YCharts.

Delaware’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Miscellaneous medications for retail: US$448.8 million (9.1% of Delaware’s exports)
2. Civilian aircraft, parts including engines: $293 million (6%)
3. Ammunition projectiles including bombs, mines: $202 million (4.1%)
4. Direct current (DC) motors, generators: $201.7 million (4.1%)
5. Mass spectrometers: $168.7 million (3.4%)
6. Miscellaneous items made from plastic: $145.9 million (3%)
7. Parts for filtering or purifying machines: $139.3 million (2.8%)
8. Large automobiles (piston engine): $127.8 million (2.6%)
9. Medium-sized automobiles (piston engine): $114.9 million (2.3%)
10. Machinery parts: $106.5 million (2.2%)

Delaware’s top 10 exports generated about four-tenths (39.6%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Ammunition projectiles including bombs and mines or parts represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 19,176% from 2022 to 2023.

In second place for improving export sales were medium-sized automobiles powered by piston engine via a 75.7% advance.

Delawarean exports of miscellaneous medications for retail (up 34.6% from 2022), large automobiles with piston engine (up 8%), and miscellaneous items made from plastic (up 6.9%) also posted gains.

The severest decliners among Delaware’s top 10 export products were direct current motors and generators (down -50.8% from 2022) and civilian aircraft or parts including engines (down -49%).

More Key Facts about Delaware’s International Trade

Overall, Delaware incurred a -US$5.7 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2023. That dollar amount reflects a -40.4% reduction from -$9.5 billion in red 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 Delaware’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2023.

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$3 billion (28.6% of Delaware’s imports)
2. Miscellaneous medications for retail: $905.4 million (8.5%)
3. Photovoltaic cells in modules, panels: $682.8 million (6.4%)
4. Refined petroleum oils (not biodiesel): $352.2 million (3.3%)
5. Bananas (fresh or dried): $331.4 million (3.1%)
6. Medications containing cortex hormones: $281.3 million (2.7%)
7. Lead-acid batteries: $261.3 million (2.5%)
8. Light oils (not biodiesel): $176.8 million (1.7%)
9. Frozen prepared potatoes (no vinegar): $79.4 million (0.7%)
10. Larger motorboats: $78.4 million (0.7%)

Delaware has highly negative net exports in the international trade of crude petroleum oils and, to a lesser extent, miscellaneous medications. In turn, these cashflows indicate Delaware’s competitive disadvantages under those product categories.

Delaware’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased over two-thirds (69.6%) worth of the total value of products exported from Delaware during 2023.

1. Canada: US$856.3 million (17.4% of Delaware’s exports)
2. United Arab Emirates: $425.3 million (8.6%)
3. mainland China: $416.9 million (8.5%)
4. South Korea: $367.5 million (7.5%)
5. Mexico: $333.2 million (6.8%)
6. Singapore: $274.5 million (5.6%)
7. Germany: $244.1 million (5%)
8. Japan: $211.9 million (4.3%)
9. United Kingdom: $167.4 million (3.4%)
10. Belgium: $129.9 million (2.6%)

Delaware’s top trade partners in Asia (mainland China, South Korea, Singapore and Japan) bought 25.8% of the overall value of goods exported from the First State.

That percentage compares to 24.2% for North American customers (Canada and Mexico), and 11% for leading buyers of Delaware’s exports in Europe (Germany, United Kingdom and Belgium).

Delawarean Export Companies

Two Delaware-based corporations rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Those examples are listed below.

• DuPont (chemicals)
• Navient Corp (servicing/collecting student loans)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the products or services which each business sells. DuPont is an international trade leader in chemicals-related sales.
 

Delaware’s capital is Dover, a city literally nicknamed Capital of the First State.

See also North Dakota’s Top 10 Exports, Montana’s Top 10 Exports, Wisconsin’s Top 10 Exports, Arizona’s Top 10 Exports and Vermont’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on May 17, 2024

Forbes, 2020 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 17, 2024

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2020 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on May 17, 2024

IBIS World, Real gross domestic product of Delaware. Accessed on May 17, 2024

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 17, 2024

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 17, 2024

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on May 17, 2024

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Delaware. Accessed on May 17, 2024

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on May 17, 2024

Wikipedia, Delaware. Accessed on May 17, 2024

Wikipedia, List of Delaware Companies. Accessed on May 17, 2024

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on May 17, 2024

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on May 17, 2024