North Dakota’s manufacturing expertise and agricultural commodities are in increasing demand throughout the world. Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Germany are all major destinations for North Dakota’s farm equipment, manufactured goods, and oil and gas exports. Overall, North Dakota exported $7.5 billion in goods in 2023, and international trade supports more than 107,000 jobs in the state.

• In North Dakota, 107,200 jobs were supported by trade, representing 18.3% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2022, 1,595 companies exported goods from North Dakota of which 86% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2021, 16,400 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• North Dakota exported $7.5 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2023, a 44% increase compared to 2022.⁵
  • Canada ($5.9 billion)
  • Mexico ($539 million)
  • Australia ($218 million)
  • Brazil ($113 million)
  • Czech Republic ($94 million)
• Agricultural exports are important to North Dakota's economy, totaling $5.9 billion in 2022, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $54 million in exports from 20 companies in North Dakota.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $6.9 million in exports from North Dakota companies.⁹

• From 2022-2023, 2,102 international students were enrolled in North Dakota colleges and universities and contributed $44 million to the North Dakota economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 592 Peace Corps volunteers from North Dakota have served in dozens of countries overseas.¹¹

1. https://s3.amazonaws.com/brt.org/Business-Roundtable_TradeandAmericanJobs2022.pdf
2. https://www.businessroundtable.org/policy-perspectives/trade-international/benefits-of-trade-data
3. https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/edb/edbrel2021.pdf
4. https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/imne0823_0.pdf
5. https://www.trade.gov/data-visualization/state-economy-and-trade-factsheets
6. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets.aspx#.U2ERwbQzqX8
7. https://www.exim.gov/customer-map/
8. https://www.mcc.gov/work-with-us/mcc-business/vehicles/
9. https://ustda.gov/ustda-success-by-state/
10. https://www.nafsa.org/policy-and-advocacy/policy-resources/nafsa-international-student-economic-value-tool-v2
11. https://www.peacecorps.gov/stories/peace-corps-announces-top-2023-volunteer-producing-states/