By the numbers
The value of goods exported from Wisconsin reached a record high in 2023, a trade report by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. found.
The total value of Wisconsin’s exports exceeded $28 billion in 2023, or about 6.5% of its GDP, while the value of imported goods totaled $39.3 billion, according to the WEDC, a quasi-public agency.
Levels of imports and exports tended to move closely together until around 2016. Beginning in 2017, the two levels diverged, with state imports growing substantially larger than exports.
Wisconsin’s top international trade partners in both imports and exports were Canada, Mexico, China, and Germany. The state also had a significant level of exports to the United Kingdom and a significant level of imports from Ireland, a major source of Wisconsin’s pharmaceutical imports.
Wisconsin ranked 20th among states in total exports. Of our Midwestern neighbors, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio ranked higher.
In broad categories, the list of the most imported and exported goods were similar, with each list including industrial and electrical machinery, medical and scientific instruments, non-rail vehicles, plastic products, and pharmaceuticals.
However, within each category, the state imported and exported different specialized subcategories. For example, industrial machine imports included hand tools, transmission parts and engine parts, while industrial machine exports included data processing machines and spark ignition combustion engines.
Similarly, pharmaceutical imports included blood, cell cultures and bandages, while pharmaceutical exports included mainly vaccines.
For full trade information, visit Wisconsin Trade Data 2023.
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