Eighty feet below lower Manhattan is a massive vault containing, as of 2019, nearly a half-million gold bars. What sounds like a setup to a heist film is in real life the basement of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where the U.S. and foreign governments, other central banks, and some international organizations safely store their gold assets.
Because of New York City’s central role in maintaining custody of a big chunk of the world’s unwrought gold reserves, these metal bars are New York state’s most valuable export. For example, in 2013, so much gold stored near Wall Street was repatriated to South Africa that it caused a temporary $689 million trade deficit with the United States.
Two other states – Nevada and Utah – have gold as their top export, but for a different reason – they have gold mines. In Utah, gold from those mines made up about 46% of the total value of the state’s exports last year, larger than its other big export categories: medical devices, prepared foods, and auto parts.
To determine the top export by state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on exports from the U.S. Census Bureau’s USA Trade Online platform. Products, as identified by the Harmonized System categorization method, were ranked based on their total export value, measured by their origin (rather than by where they left the country), in 2021. (The Harmonized System comprises more than 5,000 commodity groups, each identified by a six digit code. We chose the 4-digit level of detail.)
The top exports category of 11 states, including Kentucky, Arkansas, and Connecticut, is civilian aircraft, making up between 13% and 29% of the value of total exports from those states. In nine states, fossil fuels are their top exported products, including three coal-producing states, Montana, Virginia, and West Virginia.
More than $62 billion worth of crude oil was exported from Texas last year, representing nearly 17% of all exports from the country’s second largest state by population and geographic size. As a major refiner, the Lone Star state’s top import is also crude oil. (These are the countries most dependent on the oil trade.)
Wyoming is the state most dependent on a single export. About 66% of the total value of its exports are from carbonates, such as soda ash, a vital industrial chemical ingredient. (These are major cities dominated by one industry.)
Click here for the top export of every state
Alabama
> Top export: Motor vehicles
> Value of top export, 2021: $7.7 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 36.9%
> Other major exports: Civilian aircraft, coal, motor vehicle parts
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Alaska
> Top export: Zinc
> Value of top export, 2021: $1.3 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 22.2%
> Other major exports: Frozen fish, fish fillets, crude oil
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Arizona
> Top export: Civilian aircraft
> Value of top export, 2021: $3.2 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 13.1%
> Other major exports: Electronic integrated circuits, copper ores, semiconductor devices
Arkansas
> Top export: Civilian aircraft
> Value of top export, 2021: $838.2 million
> Top export as share of all exports: 15.0%
> Other major exports: Explosives, rice, chicken
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California
> Top export: Semiconductors
> Value of top export, 2021: $10.5 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 6.0%
> Other major exports: Nuts, electronic integrated circuits, motor vehicles
Colorado
> Top export: Electronic integrated circuits
> Value of top export, 2021: $758.1 million
> Top export as share of all exports: 8.4%
> Other major exports: Fresh beef, frozen beef, medical instruments
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Connecticut
> Top export: Civilian aircraft
> Value of top export, 2021: $4.2 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 28.9%
> Other major exports: Semiconductors, turbines, repaired imports
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Delaware
> Top export: Physical machines
> Value of top export, 2021: $492.5 million
> Top export as share of all exports: 10.4%
> Other major exports: Medicaments, electric motors, civilian aircraft
Florida
> Top export: Civilian aircraft
> Value of top export, 2021: $6.6 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 11.8%
> Other major exports: Phone sets, automatic data processing machines, electronic integrated circuits
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Georgia
> Top export: Civilian aircraft
> Value of top export, 2021: $7.2 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 17.1%
> Other major exports: Motor vehicles, turbines, chemical woodpulp
Hawaii
> Top export: Ferrous waste
> Value of top export, 2021: $56.7 million
> Top export as share of all exports: 16.7%
> Other major exports: Civilian aircraft, biodiesel, crustaceans
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Idaho
> Top export: Semiconductor devices
> Value of top export, 2021: $437.0 million
> Top export as share of all exports: 11.6%
> Other major exports: Precious metals, film, lead ores
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Illinois
> Top export: Blood
> Value of top export, 2021: $3.4 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 5.2%
> Other major exports: Medicaments, petroleum, motor vehicle parts
Indiana
> Top export: Medicaments
> Value of top export, 2021: $4.8 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 11.6%
> Other major exports: Blood, motor vehicle parts, motor vehicles
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Iowa
> Top export: Corn
> Value of top export, 2021: $1.5 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 9.7%
> Other major exports: Pork, tractors, soybean oil
Kansas
> Top export: Civilian aircraft
> Value of top export, 2021: $2.1 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 16.7%
> Other major exports: Fresh beef, soybeans, corn
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Kentucky
> Top export: Civilian aircraft
> Value of top export, 2021: $7.9 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 26.6%
> Other major exports: Blood, motor vehicles, trucks
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Louisiana
> Top export: Petroleum gases
> Value of top export, 2021: $14.0 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 18.3%
> Other major exports: Petroleum, soybeans, corn
Maine
> Top export: Crustaceans
> Value of top export, 2021: $520.0 million
> Top export as share of all exports: 16.7%
> Other major exports: Civilian aircraft, electronic integrated circuits, petroleum gases
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Maryland
> Top export: Petroleum gases
> Value of top export, 2021: $2.0 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 11.9%
> Other major exports: Civilian aircraft, spacecraft, diagnostic kits
Massachusetts
> Top export: Blood
> Value of top export, 2021: $4.2 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 13.0%
> Other major exports: Medical instruments, semiconductors, electronic integrated circuits
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Michigan
> Top export: Motor vehicle parts
> Value of top export, 2021: $7.2 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 12.9%
> Other major exports: Trucks, blood, motor vehicles
Minnesota
> Top export: Petroleum
> Value of top export, 2021: $1.7 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 7.1%
> Other major exports: Medical instruments, electronic integrated circuits, semiconductors
Mississippi
> Top export: Petroleum
> Value of top export, 2021: $3.5 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 27.2%
> Other major exports: Medical instruments, cotton, dye
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Missouri
> Top export: Trucks
> Value of top export, 2021: $2.1 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 13.4%
> Other major exports: Nitrogen, insecticides, soybeans
Montana
> Top export: Coal
> Value of top export, 2021: $179.4 million
> Top export as share of all exports: 9.1%
> Other major exports: Metal oxides, copper ores, live cows
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Nebraska
> Top export: Fresh beef
> Value of top export, 2021: $1.0 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 12.6%
> Other major exports: Frozen beef, corn, soybeans
Nevada
> Top export: Gold
> Value of top export, 2021: $2.3 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 21.8%
> Other major exports: Electronic integrated circuits, office machine parts, copper ores
New Hampshire
> Top export: Civilian aircraft
> Value of top export, 2021: $1.1 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 17.4%
> Other major exports: Phone sets, printing machines, automatic data processing machines
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New Jersey
> Top export: Platinum
> Value of top export, 2021: $9.2 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 18.7%
> Other major exports: Scrap metal, jewelry, motor vehicles
New Mexico
> Top export: Electronic integrated circuits
> Value of top export, 2021: $1.4 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 26.5%
> Other major exports: Office machine parts, civilian aircraft, medical instruments
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New York
> Top export: Gold
> Value of top export, 2021: $14.9 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 16.6%
> Other major exports: Low value exports, diamonds, paintings
North Carolina
> Top export: Blood
> Value of top export, 2021: $4.4 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 13.1%
> Other major exports: Medicaments, civilian aircraft, reaction intiators
North Dakota
> Top export: Petroleum
> Value of top export, 2021: $1.7 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 32.6%
> Other major exports: Crude oil, wheat and meslin, tractors
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Ohio
> Top export: Civilian aircraft
> Value of top export, 2021: $4.1 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 8.0%
> Other major exports: Motor vehicles, motor vehicle parts, soybeans
Oklahoma
> Top export: Civilian aircraft
> Value of top export, 2021: $475.7 million
> Top export as share of all exports: 7.6%
> Other major exports: Turbines, platinum, colloidal precious metal
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Oregon
> Top export: Electronic integrated circuits
> Value of top export, 2021: $12.7 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 42.3%
> Other major exports: Semiconductors, fertilizers, wheat
Pennsylvania
> Top export: Blood
> Value of top export, 2021: $2.7 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 6.1%
> Other major exports: Petroleum gases, medicaments, coal
Rhode Island
> Top export: Scrap metal
> Value of top export, 2021: $609.9 million
> Top export as share of all exports: 20.7%
> Other major exports: Jewelry, blood, ferrous waste
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South Carolina
> Top export: Motor vehicles
> Value of top export, 2021: $10.6 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 35.8%
> Other major exports: Rubber tires, motor vehicle parts, civilian aircraft
South Dakota
> Top export: Pork
> Value of top export, 2021: $254.4 million
> Top export as share of all exports: 13.7%
> Other major exports: Starches and sugars, ethyl alcohol, soybean oil
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Tennessee
> Top export: Medical instruments
> Value of top export, 2021: $3.7 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 10.7%
> Other major exports: Blood, phone sets, orthopedic apparel
Texas
> Top export: Crude oil
> Value of top export, 2021: $62.4 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 16.6%
> Other major exports: Petroleum, petroleum gases, electronic integrated circuits
Utah
> Top export: Gold
> Value of top export, 2021: $8.3 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 46.1%
> Other major exports: Medical instruments, prepared foods, motor vehicle parts
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Vermont
> Top export: Electronic integrated circuits
> Value of top export, 2021: $1.2 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 48.3%
> Other major exports: Exercise equipment, physical machines, paper
Virginia
> Top export: Coal
> Value of top export, 2021: $3.2 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 16.0%
> Other major exports: Soybeans, electronic integrated circuits, pork
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Washington
> Top export: Civilian aircraft
> Value of top export, 2021: $12.9 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 24.0%
> Other major exports: Soybeans, corn, wheat and meslin
West Virginia
> Top export: Coal
> Value of top export, 2021: $2.6 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 41.4%
> Other major exports: Rotary engines, polyesters, polyamides
Wisconsin
> Top export: Blood
> Value of top export, 2021: $1.7 billion
> Top export as share of all exports: 7.0%
> Other major exports: Motor vehicle parts, x-ray machines, medical instruments
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Wyoming
> Top export: Carbonates
> Value of top export, 2021: $942.3 million
> Top export as share of all exports: 66.0%
> Other major exports: Coal, clay, fertilizers
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