Delaware is home to some of America’s most important businesses, including DuPont, which drives the state’s chemical manufacturing industry. Exporters like this are growing Delaware’s economy, helping to support more than 120,000 jobs tied to international trade.

• In Delaware, 123,400 jobs were supported by international trade in 2018, representing 20.7% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2018, 2,209 companies exported goods from Delaware of which 86% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2017, 25,500 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^2,3

• Delaware exported $4.4 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2019. Delaware's largest markets in 2019 were:⁴
  • Canada ($579 million)
  • United Kingdom ($542 million)
  • China ($464 million)
  • South Korea ($244 million)
  • German ($224 million)
• Agricultural exports are important to Delaware's' economy, totaling $263 million in 2018, according to the USDA.⁵
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $35 million in exports from 8 companies in Delaware.⁶
• Since 1971, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation - which has been modernized into the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) - has invested $778 million in Delaware companies for overseas investment.⁷

• In 2017-2018, 1,433 Delaware students studied abroad.⁹
• During 2019, 7,395 international students were enrolled in Delaware colleges and universities and contributed $180 million to the Delaware economy.⁹

• Since 1961, 557 Peace Corps volunteers from Delaware have served in dozens of countries overseas.¹⁰

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/benefits-of-trade-data
3. https://www.bea.gov/system/files/2019-11/imne1119_0.pdf
4. https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/state/data/index.html
5. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets.aspx#.U2ERwbQzqX8
6. https://customermap.exim.gov/index.cfm
7. https://www.opic.gov/sites/default/files/docs/OPIC_local_impact.pdf
8. https://ustda.gov/ustda-success-by-state/
9. https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Open-Doors
10. https://www.peacecorps.gov/news/library/peace-corps-announces-top-volunteer-producing-states-2018/