Nicknamed the “Show Me State” and “Cave State” located in America’s midwestern region, Missouri shipped US$17.9 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2023.

That dollar amount results from a 38.8% advance from $12.9 billion four years earlier in 2020.

Year over year, the overall value of products exported from Missouri expanded by 10.1% compared to $16.2 billion during 2022.

Missouri ranks 28th among America’s most lucrative exporters by state, lagging front-runners including Texas, California, Louisiana, New York state and Illinois.

The value of Missouri’s exports equals 0.9% of United States’ overall exported products for 2023.

Based on research from IBIS World, Missouri’s exported products represent 5.9% of the state’s total economic output or Gross Domestic Product ($304 billion).

Given Missouri’s population of 6.2 million people, its total $17.9 billion in 2023 exports translates to $2,900 for every resident in the Show Me State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $2,600 per capita one year earlier in 2022.

Missouri’s unemployment rate was 3.3% at the end of March 2024, up from 2.8% one year earlier per YCharts.

Missouri’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Small gas-powered trucks: US$2.9 billion (16% of Missouri’s total exports)
2. Soya beans: $631.3 million (3.5%)
3. Bituminous coal (non-agglomerated): $487.2 million (2.7%)
4. Corn: $372.6 million (2.1%)
5. Heterocyclics with nitrogen hetero-atoms: $290.5 million (1.6%)
6. Civilian aircraft, engines other parts: $281.8 million (1.6%)
7. Soya bean oilcake, other solid residues: $259.3 million (1.5%)
8. Compounds with unfused pyridine ring: $245 million (1.4%)
9. Dog and cat food: $221.3 million (1.2%)
10. Miscellaneous chemical industry products: $203.7 million (1.1%)

Missouri’s top 10 exports generated almost a third (32.8%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Non-agglomerated bituminous coal represents the fastest grower among Missouri’s top 10 export categories, up by 189.9% from 2022 to 2023.

In second place for improving export sales were soya bean oilcake and other solid residues, thanks to a 71.4% appreciation.

Missouri’s shipments of civilian aircraft or aircraft engines and other parts posted the third-fastest gain in value up by 42.2%, ahead of exported small gas-powered trucks (up 39.4%) then corn (up 28.7%).

There was a pair of decliners among Missouri’s top 10 export products. These were compounds with unfused pyridine ring (down -22.1% from 2022) and exported soya beans (down -11.2%).

More Key Facts about Missouri’s International Trade

Missouri incurred an overall -US$9 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2023. That dollar amount reflects a -23.2% year-over-year decline from -$11.7 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 Missouri’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2023.

1. Airplane or helicopter parts: US$2.1 billion (7.8% of Missouri’s total imports)
2. Turbo-jets: $555 million (2.1%)
3. Crude petroleum oils: $478.7 million (1.8%)
4. Single-phase AC electric motors: $426.3 million (1.6%)
5. Semi-trailer truck tractors $405.4 million (1.5%)
6. Spark-ignition reciprocating piston engine: $343 million (1.3%)
7. Air or gas pumps, compressors, fans or related parts: $280 million (1%)
8. Automobile parts, accessories: $254.1 million (0.9%)
9. Electric apparatus controls: $251.6 million (0.9%)
10. Miscellaneous medications in dosage for retail: $238.4 million (0.9%)
11. X-ray medical, surgical or veterinarian apparatus: $351.2 million (1.3%)

Missouri has negative net exports notably in the international trade of aircraft and crude petroleum oils. In turn, these cashflows indicate Missouri’s competitive disadvantages under related product categories.

Missouri’s Major International Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that bought 78.6% worth of the total value of products exported from Missouri during 2023.

1. Canada: US$6.5 billion (36.5% of Missouri’s total exports)
2. Mexico: $3.9 billion (21.7%)
3. Germany: $733.8 million (4.1%)
4. mainland China: $597.9 million (3.3%)
5. Brazil: $481.6 million (2.7%)
6. Japan: $474.8 million (2.7%)
7. Netherlands: $367.1 million (2.1%)
8. France: $338.7 million (1.9%)
9. Belgium: $329.7 million (1.8%)
10. India: $316.5 million (1.8%)

Missouri’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) purchased 58.2% of the overall value of exported goods from the Show Me State.

In contrast, 9.9% of Missouri’s exports was sent to leading importers in Europe (Germany, Netherlands, France and Belgium).

Another 7.8% was bought by major Missourian trade partners located in Asia (mainland China, Japan and India).

Missourian Export Companies

Twenty-five of Missouri-based corporations rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Selected examples are listed below.

• Arch Coal (coal)
• Caleres (footwear)
• Cerner Corp (health technology devices, hardware, services)
• Leggett & Platt (bedding, furniture, materials, auto seating)
• Monsanto Co. (herbicides, pesticides, biotechnology)
• Olin Corp (ammunition, chemicals, copper alloys)
• O’Reilly Automotive (automotive parts, accessories)
• Peabody Energy Corp (coal)

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

Missouri’s capital is Jefferson City, nicknamed “Jeff”.

See also Oklahoma’s Top 10 Exports, New Jersey’s Top 10 Exports, Oregon’s Top 10 Exports, Pennsylvania’s Top 10 Exports and Virginia’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on May 8, 2024

Forbes, 2020 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 8, 2024

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2020 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on May 8, 2024

IBIS World, Missouri Economic Overview (gross domestic product, population). Accessed on May 8, 2024

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 8, 2024

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 8, 2024

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on May 8, 2024

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Missouri. Accessed on May 8, 2024

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on May 8, 2024

Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in Missouri. Accessed on May 8, 2024

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on May 8, 2024

Wikipedia, Missouri. Accessed on May 8, 2024

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on May 8, 2024