Michigan

Michigan Exports and Foreign Investment

In 2025, Michigan exported $58.3 billion of goods to the world. In 2023, exports from Michigan supported an estimated 230 thousand jobs (latest data available).

Exports from Michigan and Jobs

• Michigan was the 10th largest state exporter of goods in 2025.
• In 2025, Michigan goods exports were $58.3 billion, an increase of 8 percent ($4.3 billion) from its export level in 2015.
• Michigan goods exports in 2023 supported an estimated 230 thousand jobs (latest data available). Nationally, jobs supported by goods exports pay up to an estimated 18 percent above the national average.

Manufacturing Exports from Michigan and Jobs

• In 2025, Michigan exported $54.6 billion of manufactured products.
• Michigan’s exports of manufactured products supported an estimated 218 thousand jobs in 2023 (latest data available).
• The state's largest manufacturing export category was transportation equipment, which accounted for $23.4 billion of Michigan's total goods exports in 2025.
• Other top manufacturing exports were chemicals ($5.5 billion), machinery, except electrical ($5.0 billion), electrical equipment, appliances & components ($4.3 billion), and computer & electronic products ($2.7 billion).

Exports Sustain Thousands of Michigan Businesses many of which are SMEs

• A total of 13,885 companies exported from Michigan locations in 2023 (latest data available). Of those, 12,294 (89 percent) were small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.
• Small and medium-sized firms generated 20.9 percent of Michigan's total exports of goods in 2023.

Michigan's Largest Export Markets

• The state’s largest export market was Canada. Michigan exported $21.2 billion in goods to Canada in 2025, representing 36 percent of the state’s total goods exports.
• Canada was followed by Mexico ($16.6 billion), Germany ($1.8 billion), China ($1.5 billion), and Japan ($1.4 billion).
• Michigan’s goods exports to major world areas included:

• 71 percent of Michigan goods exports ($41.2 billion) in 2025 went to current FTA partners.

Michigan's Top Agricultural Exports

• Michigan was the country’s 17th largest agricultural exporting state, shipping $3.7 billion in domestic agricultural exports abroad in 2024 (latest data available according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture). 1
• Top agricultural exports were:

	2024 Value	2024 State Rank
other plant products	$924 million	5
soybeans	$581 million	13
dairy products	$445 million	6
corn	$295 million	12
feeds and other feed grains	$221 million	13

International Investment Creates Jobs in Michigan

• In 2023 (latest data available), foreign-controlled companies employed 343 thousand workers in Michigan. Major sources of foreign investment in Michigan included Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Michigan’s Major Metropolitan Areas Benefit from Exporting

• In 2024 (latest data available), the following metropolitan areas in Michigan recorded goods exports: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn ($40.6 billion), Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood ($6.5 billion), Kalamazoo-Portage ($2.8 billion), Midland ($1.8 billion), Saginaw ($1.5 billion), Ann Arbor ($1.2 billion), Flint ($1.1 billion), Muskegon-Norton Shores ($1.1 billion), Lansing-East Lansing ($1.1 billion), South Bend-Mishawaka ($989.6 million), Battle Creek ($871.5 million), Jackson ($466.5 million), Niles ($414.2 million), Monroe ($395.2 million), Bay City ($356.1 million), and Traverse City ($253.8 million).