Hawaii’s economy depends on its export of tropical plants and products, such as coffee, pineapples, and papaya, which are in demand across the U.S. and the world. Exporting $600 million worth of goods in 2023, Hawaii’s international trade supports nearly 205,000 jobs in the state.

• In Hawaii, 204,600 jobs were supported by international trade in 2019, representing 22.0% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2020, 688 companies exported goods from Hawaii of which 87% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2018, 40,300 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• Hawaii exported $600 million in goods to foreign markets in 2023. Hawaii’s largest markets were:⁵
  • Japan ($127.7 million)
  • Australia ($71.0 million)
  • Phillipines ($70.0 million)
  • Hong Kong ($55.2 million)
  • India ($30.4 million)
• Agricultural exports are important to Hawaii's' economy, totaling $349.6 million in 2020, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $21 million in exports from 6 companies in Hawaii.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $8.2 million in exports from Hawaii companies.⁹

• During 2020, 3,939 international students were enrolled in Hawaii colleges and universities and contributed $134 million to the Hawaii economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 1,483 Peace Corps volunteers from Hawaii have served in dozens of countries overseas.¹¹

1. https://tradepartnership.com/reports/trade-and-american-jobs-the-impact-of-trade-on-u-s-and-state-level-employment-update-2020/
2. https://www.businessroundtable.org/policy-perspectives/trade-international/benefits-of-trade-data
3. https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/edb/2019/index.html
4. https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/imne1120.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.opic.gov/sites/default/files/docs/OPIC_local_impact.pdf
9. https://ustda.gov/ustda-success-by-state/
10. https://opendoorsdata.org/fact_sheets/
11. https://www.peacecorps.gov/news/library/peace-corps-announces-top-volunteer-producing-states-2018/