South Carolina’s exports reach across the globe, totaling $37.3 billion worth of goods in 2023. Top export markets include China, Germany, Canada, and the Belgium, with South Carolina’s manufacturing prowess in vehicles and machinery driving these exports. Its coastal location and ports help to fuel export growth and international business opportunities. More than 580,000 jobs in South Carolina are also supported by international trade, with new jobs created every day.

• In South Carolina, 580,100 jobs were supported by international trade in 2019, representing 20.0% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2020, 6,546 companies exported goods from South Carolina of which 84% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2018, 170,900 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• South Carolina exported $37.3 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2023, an 18% increase compared to 2022. South Carolina's largest markets were: ⁵
  • Germany ($4.7 billion)
  • Canada ($4.5 billion)
  • China ($3.9 billion)
  • Mexico ($3.0 billion)
  • Belgium ($2.0 billion)
• Agricultural exports are important to South Carolina's' economy, totaling $1.2 billion in 2020, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $8 billion in exports from 66 companies in South Carolina.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $63 million in exports from South Carolina companies.⁹

• During 2020, 6,173 international students were enrolled in South Carolina colleges and universities and contributed $182 million to the South Carolina economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 1,739 Peace Corps volunteers from South Carolina 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/