• Home
  • State Benefits of Trade

    • Idaho

    Idaho Trade Facts

    • In 2018, Idaho exported $4.0 billion of Made-in-America goods to the world. In 2016, exports from Idaho supported an estimated 22 thousand jobs.

    Exports from Idaho and Jobs

    • Idaho was the 42nd largest state exporter of goods in 2018.
       
    • In 2018, Idaho goods exports were $4.0 billion, a decrease of 20 percent ($984 million) from its export level in 2008.
       
    • Goods exports accounted for 5.2 percent of Idaho GDP in 2018.
       
    • Idaho goods exports in 2016 (latest year available) supported an estimated 22 thousand jobs. Nationally, jobs supported by goods exports pay up to an estimated 18 percent above the national average.

    Made-in-America Manufacturing Exports from Idaho and Jobs

    • In 2018, Idaho exported $3.5 billion of manufactured products.
       
    • Idaho exports of manufactured products supported an estimated 18 thousand jobs in 2016.
       
    • The state's largest manufacturing export category is computer & electronic products, which accounted for $1.7 billion of Idaho's total goods exports in 2018.
       
    • Other top manufacturing exports are food & kindred products ($562 million), chemicals ($305 million), machinery, except electrical ($282 million), and transportation equipment ($180 million).

    Exports Sustain Thousands of Idaho Businesses many of which are SMEs

    • A total of 1,534 companies exported from Idaho locations in 2016 (latest year available). Of those, 1,305 (85 percent) were small and medium sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.
       
    •  Small and medium-sized firms generated 19.2 percent of Idaho's total exports of goods in 2016.

    Idaho Depends on World Markets

    • The state’s largest market was Canada. Idaho exported $928 million in goods to Canada in 2018, representing 23 percent of the state’s total goods exports.
       
    • Canada was followed by Taiwan ($675 million), China ($418 million), Singapore ($345 million), and Mexico ($229 million).

    • Idaho’s exports (2018 Values) to major world areas included:

     

    2018 Value

    APEC

    $3.4 billion

    Asia

    $2.1 billion

    European Union

    $495 million

    South/Central America and Caribbean

    $109 million

    Sub-Saharan Africa

    $11 million
     
    • 44 percent of Idaho’s exports ($1.7 billion) go to current FTA partners. 

    Agriculture in Idaho depends on Exports

    • Idaho is the country’s 23rd largest agricultural exporting state, shipping $2.0 billion in domestic agricultural exports abroad in 2017 (latest data available according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture).1

    • Top Agricultural exports (2017 Values) were:

     

    2017 Value

     2017 State Rank

    other plant products

    $383 million

    11

    dairy products

    $356 million

    4

    vegetables, processed

    $296 million

    4

    wheat

    $296 million

    6

    beef and veal

    $179 million

    12
     

    International Investment Creates Jobs in Idaho

    • In 2015 (latest data available), foreign-controlled companies employed 15,400 Idaho workers. Major sources of foreign investment in Idaho included Canada, France and France.
       
    • Foreign investment in Idaho was responsible for 3.2 percent of the state's total private-industry employment in 2015.

    Idaho’s Major Metropolitan Areas Benefit from Exporting

    • In 2017 (latest data available), the following metropolitan areas in Idaho recorded goods exports: Boise City ($2.5 billion), Logan ($504.2 million), Idaho Falls ($338.1 million), Coeur d'Alene ($260.4 million), Twin Falls ($220 million), Lewiston ($147.7 million), Pocatello ($103.1 million).

     

    [1] Estimates of state exports of agricultural products by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and goods exports by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce are based on different methodologies and are not directly comparable.