Do You Know What Minnesota’s Main Export Is?
We've all likely heard a lot about trade issues lately, but when it comes to trade do you know what Minnesota's main main export is?
Here in the North Star State, we may be known for our lakes and legendary cold and snowy winters, but as it turns out, Minnesota's biggest claim to fame when it comes to trade isn’t ice fishing or hotdish.
The issue of trade has been a hot topic since January when the incoming Trump administration threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on Mexican and Canadian products, as well as a 10 percent tariff on any Chinese products coming into the country. The fear for Minnesota producers is that those governments would likely then place a retaliatory tariff on American products heading to their countries.
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And, yes, trade is big business here in Minnesota. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Minnesota exported $24.9 billion worth of products in 2023. That figure is up 20 percent, or just over $4.1 billion from our previous export levels in 2013. Exports also account for nearly 118,000 jobs across the state.
The Minnesota Trade Office (MTO) notes that trade is easy for businesses to accomplish here in the Bold North because of our north-central location in the U.S. and our well-developed transportation system:
Shipping is convenient because we have eight commercial ports – including four ports on Lake Superior and four on the Mississippi River. We also have excellent rail and road networks. Over 50% of the U.S. population is within a day’s truck drive.
The MTO also notes that Minnesota offers commercial air service in the Twin Cities, Duluth, Rochester, and six other cities across the state, as well. A total of 8,121 companies exported from Minnesota locations in 2022, MTO noted. But just what are we exporting the most here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes?
According to the USTR, Minnesota's state's largest manufacturing export category is computer and electronic products, which accounted for $4.4 billion of Minnesota's total goods exports in 2023. Other top manufacturing exports include:
- Machinery ($4.0 billion)
- Transportation equipment ($2.4 billion)
- Miscellaneous manufactured commodities ($2.1 billion),
- Food and kindred products ($1.9 billion)
Minnesota is also the fourth-largest agricultural exporting state in the U.S., exporting over $9.2 billion worth of agricultural products in 2021, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture notes. The biggest products included soybeans, corn, feed, red meat, dairy, and wheat.
And where is Minnesota exporting most of our products? The USTR says our biggest trade partner is... Canada. Minnesota exported $7.0 billion in goods to Canada in 2023, representing 28 percent of the state’s total goods exports, USTR noted. Other top countries Minnesota exports products to include:
- Mexico ($3.3 billion)
- China ($2.2 billion)
- Japan ($996 million)
- Germany ($884 million)
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