Missouri Trade Facts
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In 2018, Missouri exported a record $14.5 billion of Made-in-America goods to the world. In 2016, exports from Missouri supported an estimated 85 thousand jobs.
Exports from Missouri and Jobs
- Missouri was the 26th largest state exporter of goods in 2018.
- In 2018, Missouri goods exports were $14.5 billion, an increase of 13 percent ($1.7 billion) from its export level in 2008.
- Goods exports accounted for 4.6 percent of Missouri GDP in 2018.
- Missouri goods exports in 2016 (latest year available) supported an estimated 85 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 Missouri and Jobs
- In 2018, Missouri exported $13.2 billion of manufactured products.
- Missouri exports of manufactured products supported an estimated 65 thousand jobs in 2016.
- The state's largest manufacturing export category is transportation equipment, which accounted for $4.0 billion of Missouri's total goods exports in 2018.
- Other top manufacturing exports are chemicals ($2.5 billion), food & kindred products ($1.4 billion), machinery, except electrical ($1.4 billion), and electrical equipment, appliances & components ($710 million).
Exports Sustain Thousands of Missouri Businesses many of which are SMEs
- A total of 6,011 companies exported from Missouri locations in 2016 (latest year available). Of those, 5,104 (85 percent) were small and medium sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.
- Small and medium-sized firms generated 23.5 percent of Missouri's total exports of goods in 2016.
Missouri Depends on World Markets
- The state’s largest market was Canada. Missouri exported $5.6 billion in goods to Canada in 2018, representing 38 percent of the state’s total goods exports.
- Canada was followed by Mexico ($2.6 billion), China ($780 million), Japan ($532 million), and Belgium ($495 million).
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Missouri’s exports (2018 value) to major world areas included:
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|
2018 Value |
|
APEC |
$11.0 billion |
|
Asia |
$2.8 billion |
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European Union |
$2.2 billion |
|
South/Central America and Caribbean |
$665 million |
|
Sub-Saharan Africa |
$72 million |
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65 percent of Missouri’s exports ($9.4 billion) go to current FTA partners.
Agriculture in Missouri depends on Exports
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Missouri is the country’s 10th largest agricultural exporting state, shipping $4.0 billion in domestic agricultural exports abroad in 2017 (latest data available according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture).1
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Top Agricultural exports (2017 Value) were:
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|
2017 Value |
2017 State Rank |
|
soybeans |
$1.4 billion |
6 |
|
corn |
$351 million |
8 |
|
feeds and other feed grains |
$291 million |
9 |
|
pork |
$282 million |
7 |
|
soybean meal |
$255 million |
6 |
International Investment Creates Jobs in Missouri
- In 2015 (latest data available), foreign-controlled companies employed 119,200 Missouri workers. Major sources of foreign investment in Missouri included the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany.
- Foreign investment in Missouri was responsible for 4.6 percent of the state's total private-industry employment in 2015.
Missouri’s Major Metropolitan Areas Benefit from Exporting
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In 2017 (latest data available), the following metropolitan areas in Missouri recorded goods exports: St. Louis ($9.7 billion), Kansas City ($7 billion), St. Joseph ($763.9 million), Fayetteville ($635.2 million), Springfield ($430.2 million), Jefferson City ($246.3 million), Columbia ($224 million), Joplin ($203.8 million), Cape Girardeau ($116.3 million).
1Estimates 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.
