Nicknamed “The Evergreen State” and located in America’s Pacific Northwest region, the State of Washington shipped US$57.8 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2024.
That dollar metric results from a 7.6% increase from $53.7 billion four years earlier in 2021.
Year over year, the overall value of Washington’s exports fell via a -5.4% slowdown compared to $61.1 billion for 2023.
Washington ranks among America’s 15 most lucrative exporters by state, well behind leaders including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana and Illinois.
The value of Washington state’s exports equals about 2.8% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2024 worth $2.065 trillion. That percentage represents a retreat from 3% for the prior year.
Washington’s exported products represent 6.8% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product ($854.7 billion in 2024).
Given Washington’s population of 7.958 million people in 2024, its $57.8 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $7,250 for every resident in the Evergreen State. That dollar metric lags the average $7,850 one year earlier during 2023.
Washington state’s unemployment rate was 4.4% in February 2025, down from 4.6% one year earlier per YCharts.
The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Washington global shipments during 2024. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Washington.
Figures are shown at the more granular six-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, for more precise product identification.
- Civilian aircraft or aircraft engines, parts: US$17.4 billion (30% of Washington’s total exports)
- Soya beans: $4.8 billion (8.3%)
- Corn: $3.2 billion (5.5%)
- Refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $2.7 billion (4.7%)
- Wheat, meslin: $2.2 billion (3.8%)
- Frozen potatoes: $1.11 billion (1.9%)
- Soya bean flours, meals: $1.07 billion (1.8%)
- Fresh apples: $845.2 million (1.5%)
- Electrical energy: $586.8 million (1%)
- Hay, clover, other forage products: $468.2 million (0.8%)
Washington’s top 10 exports represent nearly three-fifths (59.5%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.
Corn represents the fastest grower among Washington’s top 10 export categories, up by 109.5% from 2023 to 2024.
In second place for improving export sales were fresh apples via a 23.7% advance.
Posting the third-fastest gain were refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel, up 19.7%.
Washington’s international shipments of frozen potatoes grew 2.9% year over year.
The severest decliners year over year were for Washington’s exports of electrical energy (down -38.4% from 2023), soya beans (down -23.5%), wheat and meslin (down -19%), then soya beans (down -16.7%).
More Key Facts about Washington’s International Trade
Washington State incurred an overall -US$4.32 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2024. That dollar amount reflects a -15.7% drop from the -$5.13 billion deficit one year earlier in 2023.
Another way of saying surplus or deficit is positive or negative net exports. In a nutshell, the term “net exports” quantifies the amount by which foreign spending on a state’s goods or services exceeds or lags that same state’s spending on foreign goods or services.
Below are Washington’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2024.
- Crude petroleum oils: $7.1 billion (11.4% of Washington’s total imports)
- Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): $4.8 billion (7.7%)
- Natural gas (gaseous state): $2.4 billion (3.9%)
- Automobiles (spark ignition and electric engine): $1.9 billion (3.1%)
- Large automobiles (piston engine): $1.48 billion (2.4%)
- Wheeled toys (tricycles, scooters, pedal cars, carriages): $1.46 billion (2.4%)
- Automobiles (electric engine only): $1.1 billion (1.7%)
- Enriched uranium: $1 billion (1.6%)
- Video game consoles, machinery: $761 million (1.2%)
- Live cattle (excluding purebred): $512.2 million (0.8%)
Historically Washington has had to endure negative net exports in the international trade of crude petroleum oils, automobiles and gas. In turn, these cashflows indicate Washington’s strong competitive global disadvantages under these product categories.
Washington State’s Major Trading Partners
The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased well over two-thirds (71.1%) worth of the total value of products exported from Washington during 2024.
- mainland China: $12 billion (20.8% of Washington’s total exports)
- Canada $7.9 billion (13.7%)
- Japan $5 billion (8.7%)
- Mexico $4.3 billion (7.5%)
- South Korea $3.1 billion (5.4%)
- Taiwan $2.1 billion (3.6%)
- India $2 billion (3.5%)
- Philippines $1.9 billion (3.2%)
- Ireland $1.39 billion (2.4%)
- United Kingdom $1.35 billion (2.3%)
Washington’s top trade partners in Asia (mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India and the Philippines) imported 45.2% of the overall value of exported goods from the Evergreen State.
That leading percentage for Asia compares with 21.2% of Washington State’s total export sales to its North American trade partners Canada and Mexico.
Washingtonian Export Companies
Ten of Washington-headquartered corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. Selected examples are listed below.
- Alaska Air Group (airliner)
- Amazon.com (global e-commerce, cloud computing)
- Expeditors International (freight forwarding, customs brokerage)
- Microsoft Corporation (software, technology products)
- Paccar (commercial vehicles, auto parts)
- Weyerhaeuser (forest products)
Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related products or services category in which each business sells.
Washington’s capital is Olympia, a city nicknamed “Oly” and “O-Town”.
See also Ohio’s Top 10 Exports, Alabama’s Top 10 Exports, Oregon’s Top 10 Exports, Louisiana’s Top 10 Exports and Tennessee’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on April 13, 2025
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on April 13, 2025
GeoLounge, Fortune 500 List by State. Accessed on April 13, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 13, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on April 13, 2025
Statista, QuickFacts: Washington. Accessed on April 13, 2025
United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Washington. Accessed on April 13, 2025
USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on April 13, 2025
Wikipedia, Washington (state). Accessed on April 13, 2025
Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on April 13, 2025
Wikipedia, List of Washington (state) companies. Accessed on April 13, 2025
YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on April 13, 2025