Virginia-based companies depend on exporting their goods around the world. Nearly 6,900 Virginia companies supporting 1.1 million jobs exported $25 billion worth of goods in 2022. American innovation and quality are in demand around the world, and Virginia is poised to meet that demand in both manufacturing and services.

• In Virginia, 1,141,000 jobs were supported by international trade in 2019, representing 21.1% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2020, 6,897 companies exported goods from Virginia of which 85% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2018, 197,400 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• Virginia exported $20.1 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2021, an 23% increase compared to 2020 driven by continued economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.⁵
  • Canada ($3.5 billion)
  • China ($2.8 billion)
  • India ($2.3 billion)
  • Netherlands ($1.5 billion)
  • Mexico ($1.1 billion)
• Agricultural exports are important to Virginia's' economy, totaling $1.3 billion in 2020, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $1 billion in exports from 83 companies in Virginia.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $255 million in exports from Virginia companies.⁹

• During 2020, 17,841 international students were enrolled in Virginia colleges and universities and contributed $605 million to the Virginia economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 8,281 Peace Corps volunteers from 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/