Rhode Island’s manufacturing exports play a key role in economic production and job growth. In 2022, nearly 1,900 Rhode Island companies exported a total of $2.9 billion worth of goods, helping to support more than 137,000 good-paying Rhode Island jobs.

• In Rhode Island, 137,300 jobs were supported by international trade in 2019, representing 20.9% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2020, 1,871 companies exported goods from Rhode Island of which 87% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2018, 31,200 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• Rhode Island exported $3.0 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2021, a 25% increase compared to 2020 driven by continued economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.⁵
  • Canada ($467 million)
  • Italy ($406 million)
  • Dominican Republic ($316 million)
  • Germany ($160 million)
  • Mexico ($150 million)
• Agricultural exports are important to Rhode Island's' economy, totaling $36 million in 2020, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $114 million in exports from 13 companies in Rhode Island.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $248 million in exports from Rhode Island companies.⁹

• During 2020, 4,401 international students were enrolled in Rhode Island colleges and universities and contributed $232 million to the Rhode Island economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 1,114 Peace Corps volunteers from Rhode Island 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/