Minnesota’s global competitiveness is growing rapidly thanks to its established presence in markets in North America and Europe, initiatives in China and India, and growing business in emerging markets throughout the world. Minnesota’s goods exports generated $27.3 billion last year, supporting more than 748,000 good-paying Minnesotan jobs.

• In Minnesota, 748,100 jobs were supported by international trade in 2019, representing 19.6% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2020, 7,979 companies exported goods from Minnesota of which 86% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2018, 159,700 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• Minnesota exported $23.5 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2021, a 17% increase compared to 2020 driven by continued economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.⁵
  • Canada ($9.0 billion)
  • Mexico ($2.8 billion)
  • China ($2.4 billion)
  • Japan ($1.1 billion)
  • Germany ($967 million)
• Agricultural exports are important to Minnesota's' economy, totaling $9.3 billion in 2020, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $1 billion in exports from 128 companies in Minnesota.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $428 million in exports from Minnesota companies.⁹

• During 2020, 13,503 international students were enrolled in Minnesota colleges and universities and contributed $393 million to the Minnesota economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 7,079 Peace Corps volunteers from Minnesota 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/