South Dakota’s international engagement fuels job growth and increases exports. Over 900 South Dakota companies exported $2.5 billion worth of goods in 2022, which helped support more than 114,000 jobs in the state. The majority of companies that export from South Dakota are also small and medium sized businesses.

• In South Dakota, 114,400 jobs were supported by international trade in 2019, representing 18.5% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2020, 919 companies exported goods from South Dakota of which 79% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2018, 14,600 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• South Dakota exported $1.9 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2021, a 36% increase compared to 2020 driven by continued economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.⁵
  • Canada ($992 million)
  • Mexico ($522 million)
  • South Korea ($166 million)
  • China ($121 million)
  • Japan ($110 million)
• Agricultural exports are important to South Dakota's' economy, totaling $4.9 billion in 2020, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $16 million in exports from 14 companies in South Dakota.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $57 million in exports from South Dakota companies.⁹

• During 2020, 1,670 international students were enrolled in South Dakota colleges and universities and contributed $33 million to the South Dakota economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 676 Peace Corps volunteers from South Dakota 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/