Virginia

Virginia State Exports 

• In 2013, Virginia goods exports were $17.9 billion, up 19 percent ($2.9) billion from 2009, and up 66 percent ($7.1 billion) from 2003 (according to the U.S. Dept of Commerce). Goods exports accounted for 4.0 percent of Virginia GDP in 2013.  Virginia was the 24^th largest state exporter of goods in 2013.

• In 2013, jobs supported by Virginia’s goods exports are estimated to be 93 thousand.   U.S. jobs supported by goods exports pay an estimated 13 to 18 percent higher than the national average wage.

Manufacturing Exports and Jobs

• Virginia’s manufacturing exports supported 20.3 percent of its total manufacturing employment in 2011 (latest year available).

• Virginia's exports of manufactured products were up by 69 percent between 2003 and 2013 (from $9.2 billion in 2003 to $15.6 billion in 2013).

• The five largest manufacturing sectors in terms of Virginia's exports were: Chemicals ($3.0 billion of exports in 2013), Electronic Products ($2.6 billion), Transportation Equipment ($1.8 billion), Machinery ($1.8 billion), and Processed Food ($1.2 billion). These 5 sectors accounted for 66 percent of the state's total manufacturing exports.

Agriculture Exports

• Virginia is the country’s 33^rd largest agricultural exporting state, shipping $1.1 billion in agricultural exports abroad in 2012 (latest data available according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture).^[1]  The top agriculture export categories were soybeans ($183 million), poultry ($120 million- - the 12^th largest exporter), tobacco ($81 million—the 4^th largest exporter), cotton ($59 million), and wheat ($58 million). These five categories accounted for 44 percent of Virginia’s agricultural exports in 2012. 

Export Markets

• Virginia’s state exports of goods to the 20 existing FTA countries totaled $6.5 billion in 2013, 36% of Virginia’s total goods exports to the world. 

• Canada is Virginia’s largest export market with $3.2 billion or 18% of Virginia’s total goods exports, followed by China ($1.9 billion), Mexico ($1.1 billion), the United Kingdom ($996 million), and Germany ($790 million).

• In 2013, Virginia exported $9.8 billion to APEC, $5.2 billion to Asia, $4.0 billion to European Union, $1.8 billion to South/Central America and the Caribbean (excluding Mexico), and $300 million to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Small and Medium Sized Businesses

• Over 6,500 Virginia small and medium sized businesses exported in 2012(latest data available), accounting for 85.8 percent of exporting businesses from Virginia and 28.7 percent of Virginia's exports by value.

Foreign Investment and Jobs

• In 2011 (latest year available), foreign-controlled companies employed 156,000 Virginia workers. Major sources of foreign investment in Virginia in 2011 included United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Japan, and France.
   
• Foreign investment in Virginia was responsible for 5.2 percent of the state's total private-industry employment in 2011.

Major Metropolitan Areas Exports

• In 2013, the following metropolitan areas in Virginia recorded goods exports: Richmond ($4.3 billion), Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford ($753 million), Roanoke ($746 million), Lynchburg ($503 million), Harrisonburg ($383 million), Staunton-Waynesboro ($275 million), Charlottesville ($232 million), Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News ($2.5 billion, portions of this MSA are shared with one or more other states), and Winchester ($353 million, portions of this MSA are shared with one or more other states).