Key figures
- Louisiana is the most trade dependent state: goods exports plus imports equal 42% of its GDP.
- Kentucky (40%), Michigan (35%) and Texas (32%) complete the top four.
- The figure for the United States as a whole is 18%.
- The District of Columbia (2%), Hawaii (3%) and Colorado (5%) are the least dependent on goods trade.
- Twelve states are above the national 18% and North Dakota matches it (our count).
All figures are from the graphic, which cites the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).
U.S. state trade dependency in 2023, in text
Title: U.S. State Trade Dependency. Subtitle: Goods Trade (Exports+Imports) as a Percentage of State GDP in 2023. The map shades states in four bands (0% to 10%, 10% to 20%, 20% to 30% and 30% to 42%) and marks the U.S. figure of 18% on the legend. Numbered circles mark the ten most dependent states. All 50 states and D.C., from highest to lowest:
| Top 10 rank | State | Goods trade as % of state GDP, 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana (LA) | 42% |
| 2 | Kentucky (KY) | 40% |
| 3 | Michigan (MI) | 35% |
| 4 | Texas (TX) | 32% |
| 5 | Indiana (IN) | 29% |
| 6 | South Carolina (SC) | 28% |
| 7 | Tennessee (TN) | 28% |
| 8 | Illinois (IL) | 28% |
| 9 | New Jersey (NJ) | 23% |
| 10 | Mississippi (MS) | 23% |
| Georgia (GA) | 22% | |
| Alabama (AL) | 21% | |
| North Dakota (ND) | 18% | |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | 17% | |
| Rhode Island (RI) | 17% | |
| California (CA) | 16% | |
| Delaware (DE) | 16% | |
| North Carolina (NC) | 16% | |
| Washington (WA) | 16% | |
| Wisconsin (WI) | 16% | |
| New Hampshire (NH) | 15% | |
| Ohio (OH) | 15% | |
| Oregon (OR) | 15% | |
| Maryland (MD) | 13% | |
| Minnesota (MN) | 13% | |
| Montana (MT) | 13% | |
| Utah (UT) | 13% | |
| Vermont (VT) | 13% | |
| Alaska (AK) | 12% | |
| Arizona (AZ) | 12% | |
| Iowa (IA) | 12% | |
| Kansas (KS) | 12% | |
| Nevada (NV) | 12% | |
| New York (NY) | 12% | |
| Connecticut (CT) | 11% | |
| Florida (FL) | 11% | |
| Maine (ME) | 11% | |
| Massachusetts (MA) | 11% | |
| Missouri (MO) | 10% | |
| West Virginia (WV) | 10% | |
| Oklahoma (OK) | 9% | |
| Idaho (ID) | 8% | |
| Nebraska (NE) | 8% | |
| New Mexico (NM) | 8% | |
| Virginia (VA) | 8% | |
| Arkansas (AR) | 7% | |
| South Dakota (SD) | 6% | |
| Wyoming (WY) | 6% | |
| Colorado (CO) | 5% | |
| Hawaii (HI) | 3% | |
| District of Columbia (D.C.) | 2% |
Footer: “Sources of Primary Data: U.S. Census, BEA”. www.econovis.net, @econovisuals and the Econovis logo.
What trade dependency means
Trade dependency, or trade openness, compares a place’s trade with the size of its economy. Our World in Data describes the national version as total trade (exports and imports) relative to GDP, expressed as a percentage [2]. That national measure includes services as well as goods [2]. The Econovis map uses goods trade only, with primary data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the BEA, as printed in its footer.
A high figure means trade flows are large next to the state’s output. Econovis has also mapped the export and import halves of the same measure separately, as exports and imports as a percentage of state GDP in 2023 [3] [4].
Where the most trade dependent states are
The darkest states form two groups on the map. One runs through the manufacturing states of the Midwest and South: Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and South Carolina, with Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi above 20%. The other is the Gulf coast, with Louisiana at 42% and Texas at 32%. The Mountain West and Plains states are mostly below 10%, as are Virginia, Arkansas, Hawaii and D.C.
Notes on this infographic
- Ties. South Carolina, Tennessee and Illinois all show 28% but are ranked 6, 7 and 8, and New Jersey and Mississippi both show 23% at 9 and 10. The order comes from unrounded figures that the map does not print.
- Goods only. Services trade is not included, unlike the national trade as a share of GDP measure published by Our World in Data [2], so the two are not directly comparable.
- Data date. Calendar year 2023. Econovis posted the map on 4 January 2025 [1].
Questions about U.S. state trade dependency
Which U.S. state is most dependent on trade?
Louisiana, where goods exports plus imports equalled 42% of state GDP in 2023. Kentucky (40%), Michigan (35%) and Texas (32%) complete the top four, against a figure of 18% for the United States as a whole. The map, by Econovis, uses primary data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Which states are least dependent on trade?
The District of Columbia is the least dependent on goods trade, at 2% of GDP in 2023, followed by Hawaii (3%) and Colorado (5%). The Mountain West and Plains states are mostly below 10%, as are Virginia and Arkansas. Only twelve states are above the national figure of 18%, and North Dakota matches it.
What is trade dependency?
Trade dependency, or trade openness, compares a place's trade with the size of its economy, as total exports and imports relative to GDP, expressed as a percentage [2]. The national measure published by Our World in Data includes services as well as goods [2]. The Econovis state map counts goods trade only, so the two are not directly comparable.
How dependent is Texas on trade?
Goods trade equalled 32% of Texas's GDP in 2023, ranking it fourth among U.S. states behind Louisiana, Kentucky and Michigan. That is well above the national figure of 18%. On the map, Texas and Louisiana form a Gulf coast group of highly trade dependent states, separate from the manufacturing states of the Midwest and South.
Sources
- Econovis, U.S. State Trade Dependency, 4 January 2025. The creator’s post of this map.
- Our World in Data, Trade as a share of GDP.
- Econovis, U.S. State Exports Dependency.
- Econovis, U.S. State Import Dependency.
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
