Michigan

Michigan Exports & Foreign Investment

 

In 2023, Michigan exported a record $64.9 billion of goods to the world.  In 2021, exports from Michigan supported an estimated 214 thousand jobs.

 

Exports from Michigan and Jobs

• Michigan was the 7^th largest state exporter of goods in 2023.
• In 2023, Michigan goods exports were $64.9 billion, an increase of 9 percent ($5.5 billion) from its export level in 2013 (latest data available).
• Goods exports accounted for 9.8 percent of Michigan GDP in 2023 (latest data available).
• Michigan goods exports in 2021 (latest data available) supported an estimated 214 thousand jobs. Nationally, jobs supported by goods exports pay up to an estimated 18 percent above the national average.

Manufacturing Exports from Michigan and Jobs

• In 2023, Michigan exported $61.8 billion of manufactured products.
• Michigan exports of manufactured products supported an estimated 197 thousand jobs in 2021 (latest data available).
• The state's largest manufacturing export category is transportation equipment, which accounted for $30.6 billion of Michigan's total goods exports in 2023.
• Other top manufacturing exports are machinery, except electrical ($5.4 billion), chemicals ($5.4 billion), electrical equipment, appliances and components ($3.5 billion), and computer and electronic products ($3.2 billion).

 

Exports Sustain Thousands of Michigan Businesses many of which are SMEs

• A total of 14,297 companies exported from Michigan locations in 2022 (latest data available). Of those, 12,699 (89 percent) were small and medium sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.
•  Small and medium-sized firms generated 21.3 percent of Michigan's total exports of goods in 2022.

 

Michigan Depends on World Markets

• The state’s largest market was Canada. Michigan exported $27.5 billion in goods to Canada in 2023, representing 42 percent of the state’s total goods exports.
• Canada was followed by Mexico ($14.9 billion), China ($2.4 billion), Germany ($2.0 billion), and Japan ($1.6 billion).
• Michigan’s exports to major world areas included:

 

• 71 percent of Michigan’s goods exports ($46.2 billion) in 2023 went to current FTA partners. 

Agriculture in Michigan depends on Exports

• Michigan is the country’s 16^th largest agricultural exporting state, shipping $4.3 billion in domestic agricultural exports abroad in 2022 (latest data available according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture).^[1]
• Top Agricultural exports were:

 

International Investment Creates Jobs in Michigan

• In 2021 (latest data available), foreign-controlled companies employed 321,900 Michigan workers. Major sources of foreign investment in Michigan included Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom.
• Foreign investment in Michigan was responsible for 8.8 percent of the state's total private-industry employment in 2021.

Michigan’s Major Metropolitan Areas Benefit from Exporting

In 2022 (latest data available), the following metropolitan areas in Michigan recorded goods exports: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn ($40.4 billion), Grand Rapids-Kentwood ($5.8 billion), Kalamazoo-Portage ($3.7 billion), Midland ($2.5 billion), Saginaw ($1.6 billion), Lansing-East Lansing ($1.5 billion), Ann Arbor ($1.3 billion), Flint ($1.1 billion), Muskegon ($932.7 million), Battle Creek ($761.8 million), Jackson ($516.5 million), Jackson ($435.4 million), Niles ($371.7 million), Bay City ($268.5 million), and Midland ($76.2 million).