South Dakota’s international engagement fuels job growth and increases exports. South Dakota companies exported $6.7 billion worth of goods in 2021, with trade supporting more than 114,000 jobs in the state. The majority of companies that export from South Dakota are also small and medium sized businesses.

• In South Dakota, 114,400 jobs were supported by trade, representing 18.5% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2022, 938 companies exported goods from South Dakota of which 82% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2021, 14,300 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• South Dakota exported $6.7 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2021, a 31% increase compared to 2020 driven by continued economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy. South Dakota’s largest markets are⁵
  • Canada ($1.1 billion)
  • Mexico ($508 million)
  • China ($147 million)
  • Japan ($113 million)
  • Netherlands ($61 million)
• Agricultural exports are important to South Dakota's economy, totaling $5.4 billion in 2022, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $16 million in exports from 14 companies in South Dakota.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $57 million in exports from South Dakota companies.⁹

• From 2022-2023, 2,018 international students were enrolled in South Dakota colleges and universities and contributed $45 million to the South Dakota economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 607 Peace Corps volunteers from South 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/