As energy demand increases worldwide, West Virginia’s abundant natural resources are being exported across the globe. West Virginia exports are driving greater profits and new job opportunities every year. In fact, West Virginia’s exports generated $5.7 billion in 2023, and international trade supports nearly 174,000 West Virginia jobs each year.

• In West Virginia, 173,800 jobs were supported by international trade in 2019, representing 19.4% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2020, 1,019 companies exported goods from West Virginia of which 78% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2018, 28,400 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• West Virginia exported $5.7 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2023. West Virginia’s largest markets were:⁵
  • Canada ($2.1 billion)
  • China ($540 million)
  • Japan ($377 million)
  • Netherlands ($291 million)
  • Belgium ($286 million)
• Agricultural exports are important to West Virginia's' economy, totaling $182.9 million in 2020, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $21 million in exports from 18 companies in West Virginia.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $4 million in exports from West Virginia companies.⁹

• During 2020, 2,494 international students were enrolled in West Virginia colleges and universities and contributed $77 million to the West Virginia economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 718 Peace Corps volunteers from West Virginia 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/