Alabama's international engagement fuels job growth and increases exports. Alabama companies export about $33 billion in goods and services annually, which helps support more than 530,000 jobs in the state. The majority of companies that export from Alabama are small- and medium-sized businesses.

• In Alabama, 530,000 jobs were supported by trade, representing 20.0% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2023, 4,181 companies exported goods from Alabama, of which 80% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2022, 132,400 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• Alabama exported $33 billion in goods and services to foreign markets in 2023. ⁵
  • Germany ($5.3 billion)
  • Canada ($4.4 billion)
  • China ($4.0 billion)
  • Mexico ($3.5 billion)
  • Korea ($1.4 billion)
• Agricultural exports are important to Alabama's economy, totaling $1.7 billion annually, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $465 million in exports from 55 companies in Alabama.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $237 million in exports from Alabama companies.⁹

• From 2023-2024, 10,071 international students were enrolled in Alabama colleges and universities, contributing $349 million to the Alabama economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 1,206 Peace Corps volunteers from Alabama have served in dozens of countries overseas.¹¹

1. https://www.uschamber.com/international/trade-agreements/trade-means-growth-for-america?state=
2. https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/edb/edbrel2023.pdf
3. https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/imne-1124.pdf
4. https://www.uschamber.com/international/trade-agreements/trade-means-growth-for-america
5. https://www.trade.gov/data-visualization/state-trade-and-economy-factsheets
6. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-agricultural-trade-data
7. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-agricultural-trade-data/annual-state-agricultural-exports
8. https://www.exim.gov/customer-map/
9. https://www.mcc.gov/work-with-us/contracts-map
10. https://files.peacecorps.gov/documents/Home_states_of_Peace_Corps_volunteers.pdf
11. https://opendoorsdata.org/fact_sheets/state-fact-sheets/