Exports are an important economic driver in New Jersey, with 91% of New Jersey’s 19,000 exporting companies being small- or medium-sized businesses. New Jersey’s ports make it a prime location for international trade, which helps support more than 1.2 million jobs in the state and $70 billion in exports.

• In New Jersey, 1,200,000 jobs were supported by trade, representing 20.0% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2023, 19,049 companies exported goods from New Jersey, of which 91% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2022, 310,300 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• New Jersey exports about $70 billion in goods and services to overseas markets each year. ⁵
  • Canada ($11 billion)
  • Mexico ($4.4 billion)
  • United Kingdom ($4.1 billion)
  • Japan ($3.7 billion)
  • China ($3.4 billion)
• Agricultural exports are important to New Jersey's economy, totaling $737 million annually, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $5 billion in exports from 165 companies in New Jersey.⁷
• The Millennium Challenge Corporation has provided $55.1 million in funding to New Jersey organizations since the agency's inception in 2004.⁸
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $2.9 billion in exports from New Jersey companies.⁹

• From 2024-2025, 26,738 international students were enrolled in New Jersey colleges and universities, contributing $950 million to the New Jersey economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 5,143 Peace Corps volunteers from New Jersey 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/