Ohio is reaching out across the world to grow its economy, but its heartland location is what makes it such an attractive place to do business. With its world-class rail line and airport infrastructure, Ohio exported over $58 billion worth of goods and services in 2023. As a result, international trade supports more than 1.4 million well-paying Ohio jobs.

Job Creation

  • In Ohio, 1,401,200 jobs were supported by trade, representing 19.6% of all jobs in the state.1,2
  • In 2022, 16,043 companies exported goods from Ohio of which 89% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2021, 300,100 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.3,4

Exports and Growth

  • Ohio exported $58.8 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2023, a 4% increase compared to 2022. Ohio's largest markets were:5
    • Canada ($21.4 billion)
    • Mexico ($8.3 billion)
    • China ($2.8 billion)
    • Japan ($2.1 billion)
    • Brazil ($2.0 billion)
  • Agricultural exports are important to Ohio's economy, totaling $6.1 billion in 2022, according to the USDA.6
  • Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $5 billion in exports from 226 companies in Ohio.7
  • The Millennium Challenge Corporation has provided $756,600 in funding to Ohio organizations since the agency's inception in 2004.8
  • Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $263 million in exports from Ohio companies.9

Education and Research

  • From 2022-2023, 34,204 international students were enrolled in Ohio colleges and universities and contributed $1.2 billion to the Ohio economy.10

Global Engagement

  • Since 1961, 7,720 Peace Corps volunteers from Ohio have served in dozens of countries overseas.11