Kentucky has recently grown its share of global exports, exporting $40.2 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2023, largely on the strength of its transportation equipment and chemical industries. Exports of Kentucky’s renowned livestock and world famous bourbon distilleries generate millions of dollars in profits and thousands of jobs. In fact, international trade supports nearly 484,000 jobs in the state.

• In Kentucky, 483,700 jobs were supported by international trade in 2019, representing 18.8% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2020, 4,802 companies exported goods from Kentucky of which 80% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2018, 140,200 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• Kentucky exported $40.2 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2023, a 17% increase compared to 2022. Kentucky’s largest markets were:⁵
  • Canada ($9.1 billion)
  • United Kingdom ($3.8 billion)
  • Mexico ($3.7 billion)
  • France ($3.7 billion)
  • China ($2.9 billion)
• Agricultural exports are important to Kentucky's' economy, totaling $3.3 billion in 2020, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $1 billion in exports from 36 companies in Kentucky.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $36 million in exports from Kentucky companies.⁹

• During 2020, 9,765 international students were enrolled in Kentucky colleges and universities and contributed $309 million to the Kentucky economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 1,704 Peace Corps volunteers from Kentucky 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/