Wisconsin is a world leader in industrial machinery and high-tech manufacturing, which helped the state export $27.4 billion worth of goods in 2022. Over 8,600 companies in the state export overseas, which helped to support more than 691,000 Wisconsin jobs.

• In Wisconsin, 691,400 jobs were supported by international trade in 2019, representing 18.4% of all jobs in the state.^1,2
• In 2020, 8,643 companies exported goods from Wisconsin of which 86% were small- and medium-sized enterprises. In 2018, 131,800 people were employed by affiliates of companies at least 50% foreign-owned.^3,4

• Wisconsin exported $24.8 billion in goods to foreign markets in 2021, a 21% increase compared to 2020 driven by continued economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.⁵
  • Canada ($8.6 billion)
  • Mexico ($3.6 billion)
  • China ($1.8 billion)
  • Germany ($1 billion)
  • United Kingdom ($883 million)
• Agricultural exports are important to Wisconsin's' economy, totaling $4 billion in 2020, according to the USDA.⁶
• Since 2014, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $1 billion in exports from 157 companies in Wisconsin.⁷
• Since 1992, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has helped facilitate $460 million in exports from Wisconsin companies.⁹

• During 2020, 11,949 international students were enrolled in Wisconsin colleges and universities and contributed $339 million to the Wisconsin economy.¹⁰

• Since 1961, 6,422 Peace Corps volunteers from Wisconsin 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/