As the fifth largest exporting state in the U.S. – and the largest in the Midwest – exports are a major part of the Illinois economy. Illinois exports about $128 billion worth of goods and services annually, with international trade supporting more than 1.6 million jobs in the state. As a leading agricultural state, Illinois exports $11.1 billion in agricultural products each year.

• In Illinois, 1,600,000 jobs were supported by trade, representing 20.0% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2023, 21,929 companies exported goods from Illinois, of which 89% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2022, 384,400 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• Illinois exports about $128 billion in goods and services to overseas markets each year. ⁵
  • Canada ($24.4 billion)
  • Mexico ($14.9 billion)
  • China (8.6 billion)
  • Germany ($7.1 billion)
  • United Kingdom ($6.9 billion)
• Agricultural exports are important to Illinois's economy, totaling $11.1 billion annually, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $6 billion in exports from 252 companies in Illinois.⁷
• The Millennium Challenge Corporation has provided $23.6 million in funding to Illinois organizations since the agency's inception in 2004.⁸
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $2.5 billion in exports from Illinois companies.⁹

• From 2024-2025, 66,635 international students were enrolled in Illinois colleges and universities, contributing $2.4 billion to the Illinois economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 8,958 Peace Corps volunteers from Illinois 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/