Mapped: The Largest Export Good to China of Every State
This map visualizes the most significant export goods to China by each state. The Midwest overwhelmingly exports food and kindred products, including meat, dairy, vegetables, and grains. A good portion of the food products in the Midwest states were meat.
The western states from Oregon to California and Arizona to New Mexico export large amounts of computer and electronic products to China, much of which are navigational/medical/control instruments and semiconductors.
Chemicals comprise a large portion of exports from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Wyoming, Montana, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire.
Methodology of Making the US-China Export Map
We leveraged the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) data, which is used mainly in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, for statistical and regulatory purposes by the United States. The map shows exports to China throughout 2024.
HS (Harmonized System) data for exports is also more helpful when analyzing international trade, customs, or tariffs. NAICS is more useful when analyzing industries, businesses, or employment trends. We considered using the HS system at first, but the data overlaid on the map became overwhelming due to the complex nature of classifying goods in the HS system. Over 10 codes exist within the HS system, whereas the NAICS system maxes out between 6 and 8.
We found that the 3-digit NAICS code created a cleaner visualization without muddying the depiction of the data.
