Markets
How Reliant Is Each U.S. State on Foreign Trade?
Foreign trade, as a % of GDP for each state:
How Reliant Is Each U.S. State on Foreign Trade?
Whether it is lashing out on China for unfairly weakening its currency, or calling out “unfair” government subsidies on Canadian softwood lumber, it’s safe to say that re-opening discussions about foreign trade has become a key priority under President Trump.
Is this the right route to take, and does America really need to negotiate new trade deals?
There are arguments either way, but the the reality is that trade agreements like NAFTA are perceived to have a mixed track record of success. Under NAFTA, trade volume has exploded, prices have been lowered, and U.S. reliance on oil imported from the Middle East has decreased, but at the same time, it is clear that manufacturers, especially in the auto industry, have been setting up shop in Mexico. As a result, at least partially, manufacturing jobs hover near all-time lows.
Walking the Tightrope
The biggest challenge with acting on these re-negotiation ambitions is that it’s inherently risky, no matter how you slice it. Any big slip up or ill-advised trade war could have a drastic impact on the economy.
Today’s data visualization, which comes to us from HowMuch.net, highlights this risk in a relatable way by showing the reliance on foreign trade as a percentage of GDP for each state.
Here are the state economies most dependent on foreign trade:
Rank | State | Foreign Trade | Trade as % of State GDP, 2015 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Michigan | $178 billion | 38.0% |
2 | Louisiana | $84 billion | 35.1% |
3 | South Carolina | $70 billion | 34.8% |
4 | Tennessee | $110 billion | 34.7% |
5 | Kentucky | $66 billion | 34.3% |
6 | Washington | $138 billion | 30.9% |
7 | Texas | $500 billion | 30.7% |
8 | New Jersey | $152 billion | 26.7% |
9 | Georgia | $127 billion | 25.5% |
10 | Indiana | $82.8 billion | 24.6% |
The state that stands out the most? It’s Michigan, the country’s auto manufacturing hub.
In 2015, a total of $171.8 billion (38.0%) of economic activity in the state was linked to foreign trade. Whether that’s buying aluminum from Canada to build a lighter chassis for Ford F-150s, or it’s one of the 2.6 million vehicles that the United States exports to 200 countries every year – that’s a large chunk of economic activity to muck around with.
Right now, the global economy is built around trade. And regardless of whether re-negotiating trade agreements is the right or wrong thing to do for Trump, the potential risks of any missteps ought to be respected.
Markets
Visualizing the Major Product Exported by Each U.S. State
Canada is the top destination for products from 21 states.
Visualizing the Major Product Exported by Each State
The U.S. is the second biggest exporter in the world, accounting for over 8% of global exports.
In this graphic by NeoMam Studios, we analyze the primary product exported by each state, as well as its main destination, utilizing data from the U.S. International Trade Administration.
Canada: The Primary Destination
Canada serves as the largest export market for most of the Midwest, while Mexico holds the top spot as the export destination for much of the Southwest and Southeast. Additionally, Canada stands out as the primary importer of products from 21 states, with China and Germany trailing behind as notable destinations.
State | Destination | Top Product Exported | Value (USD) |
---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 🇩🇪 Germany | Transportation equip. | $3,649M |
Alaska | 🇨🇦 Canada | Minerals | $576M |
Arizona | 🇲🇽 Mexico | Minerals | $1,760M |
Arkansas | 🇨🇦 Canada | Processed Foods | $246M |
California | 🇨🇦 Canada | Computer & Electronics | $5,093M |
Colorado | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Processed Foods | $545M |
Connecticut | 🇩🇪 Germany | Transportation equip. | $1,581M |
Delaware | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Appliances | $419M |
Florida | 🇬🇧 UK | Chemicals | $2,447M |
Georgia | 🇨🇦 Canada | Machinery | $1,629M |
Hawaii | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | Transportation equip. | $68M |
Idaho | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | Computer & Electronics | $394M |
Illinois | 🇨🇦 Canada | Transportation equip. | $4,517M |
Indiana | 🇨🇦 Canada | Transportation equip. | $6,561M |
Iowa | 🇨🇦 Canada | Machinery | $1,598M |
Kansas | 🇲🇽 Mexico | Agricultural | $1,543M |
Kentucky | 🇨🇦 Canada | Transportation equip. | $3,630M |
Louisiana | 🇨🇳 China | Agricultural | $11,300M |
Maine | 🇨🇦 Canada | Oil & Gas | $504M |
Maryland | 🇫🇷 France | Transportation equip. | $949M |
Massachusetts | 🇨🇳 China | Machinery | $1,298M |
Michigan | 🇨🇳 China | Transportation equip. | $15,361M |
Minnesota | 🇨🇦 Canada | Petroleum & Coal | $2,787M |
Mississippi | 🇵🇦 Panama | Petroleum & Coal | $2,106M |
Missouri | 🇨🇦 Canada | Transportation equip. | $2,390M |
Montana | 🇨🇦 Canada | Minerals | $153M |
Nebraska | 🇲🇽 Mexico | Agricultural | $933M |
Nevada | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Metal | $1,399M |
New Hampshire | 🇩🇪 Germany | Transportation equip. | $695M |
New Jersey | 🇨🇦 Canada | Chemicals | $2,734M |
New Mexico | 🇲🇽 Mexico | Computer & Electronics | $2,014M |
New York | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Metal | $18,262M |
North Carolina | 🇨🇳 China | Chemicals | $4,312M |
North Dakota | 🇨🇦 Canada | Petroleum & Coal | $1,441M |
Ohio | 🇨🇦 Canada | Transportation equip. | $5,990M |
Oklahoma | 🇨🇦 Canada | Machinery | $418M |
Oregon | 🇨🇳 China | Computer & Electronics | $6,261M |
Pennsylvania | 🇨🇦 Canada | Chemicals | $2,280M |
Rhode Island | 🇮🇹 Italy | Waste & Scrap | $321M |
South Carolina | 🇩🇪 Germany | Transportation equip. | $3,774M |
South Dakota | 🇨🇦 Canada | Processed Foods | $297M |
Tennessee | 🇨🇦 Canada | Transportation equip. | $2,017M |
Texas | 🇲🇽 Mexico | Petroleum & Coal | $33,627M |
Utah | 🇬🇧 UK | Metal | $6,805M |
Vermont | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | Computer & Electronics | $447M |
Virginia | 🇮🇳 India | Minerals | $1,799M |
Washington | 🇨🇳 China | Agricultural | $10,553M |
West Virginia | 🇮🇳 India | Minerals | $657M |
Wisconsin | 🇨🇦 Canada | Machinery | $1,802M |
Wyoming | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | Chemicals | $200M |
When it comes to the types of exports, transportation equipment emerges as the primary source for the majority of states, with minerals and ores, chemicals, and computer and electronics following closely behind.
For instance, North Carolina ships $4.3 billion worth of chemicals to China, marking one of the longest-distance trade flows among states. Meanwhile, Florida boasts one of the most diverse export portfolios, engaging in trade with Europe, South America, and the Caribbean.
Louisiana heavily relies on the export of agricultural products to China, which contributes significantly to its total GDP. Similarly, Michigan’s transportation equipment exports to Canada constitute a noteworthy portion of the state’s GDP.
In Oregon, exports of semiconductors and other computer parts to China, driven by companies like Intel and Micron, play a crucial role in the state’s economy. Meanwhile, Utah predominantly exports primary metal manufacturing goods to the United Kingdom.
The biggest exporter in the country, Texas, sees a significant portion of its GDP attributed to exports to Mexico, further underlining the state’s economic ties with its southern neighbor.
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