Based on United States Census Bureau’s foreign trade statistics, exported cars from all American states were worth US$58.6 billion in 2022.

That dollar amount represents a 3.4% increase from $56.7 billion five years earlier in 2018 and a 5.5% year-over-year gain compared to $55.5 billion for 2021.

In contrast, the United States of America spent $166 billion on imported cars during 2022 down by -5.8% from 2018 but inflating by 14.1% since 2021.

America’s trade deficit buying and selling cars on international markets swelled by 19.5% from -$89.9 billion to -$107.5 billion in red ink for 2022.

America’s Top 25 States for Exporting Cars

Below are the 25 American states that sold $58 billion worth of exported cars in 2022, or 99% of the overall US total.

The 3 leading car exporters, South Carolina, Alabama and Michigan, generated 43.1% of total cars exported from the US.

1. South Carolina: US$10.1 billion (down -5.2% from 2021)
2. Alabama: $8.8 billion (up 13.8%)
3. Michigan: $6.4 billion (up 15.7%)
4. California: $5.5 billion (down -4.3%)
5. Texas: $4 billion (up 2.8%)
6. Ohio: $3.6 billion (down -3.6%)
7. Illinois: $3.4 billion (up 79.1%)
8. Georgia: $3.3 billion (down -11.7%)
9. Indiana: $2.1 billion (down -5.1%)
10. Tennessee: $1.9 billion (up 17.2%)
11. New Jersey: $1.7 billion (up 6.5%)
12. Kentucky: $1.6 billion (up 2.7%)
13. New York: $1.47 billion (up 1.2%)
14. Florida: $1.47 billion (up 18.4%)
15. Mississippi: $635.1 million (up 30.3%)
16. Minnesota: $413.9 million (up 24.3%)
17. Maryland: $324 million (down -11.2%)
18. Oregon: $291.1 million (down -40.8%)
19. Kansas: $263.3 million (up 423.1%)
20. Delaware: $220.6 million (up 0.7%)
21. Washington: $181.9 million (up 11.2%)
22. Virginia: $136.9 million (down -11.6%)
23. Pennsylvania: $122.2 million (up 13%)
24. Arizona: $117.3 million (up 23.5%)
25. Missouri: $78.6 million (up 3%)

Year over year, the fastest-growing car exporting states were Kansas (up 423.1% from 2021), Illinois (up 79.1%), Mississippi (up 30.3%), Minnesota (up 24.3%), Arizona (up 23.5%), Florida (up 18.4%), Tennessee (up 17.2%) and Michigan (up 15.7%).

Leading the declining car exporters were Oregon (down -40.8% from 2021), Georgia (down -11.7%), Virginia (down -11.6%) and Maryland (down -11.2%).

America’s Top 25 States for Importing Cars

The leading 25 American states that spent the most on imported cars accounted for $165.5 billion or 99.7% of all cars imported by the US in 2022.

The top 3 importers of cars from foreign suppliers were California, Michigan and Texas. That trio bought over half (51.8%) of America’s car imports.

1. California: US$37.7 billion (up 12.3% from 2021)
2. Michigan: $32.7 billion (up 24.2%)
3. Texas: $15.7 billion (down -29.2%)
4. Maryland: $14.1 billion (up 12.4%)
5. Georgia: $13.2 billion (up 29.1%)
6. New Jersey: $11.4 billion (up 39.7%)
7. Florida: $8 billion (up 63%)
8. Tennessee: $6.8 billion (down -15%)
9. Washington: $6 billion (up 24.8%)
10. Pennsylvania: $5 billion (up 31.9%)
11. Oregon: $4.4 billion (up 107.4%)
12. Rhode Island: $4 billion (up 9%)
13. Puerto Rico: $1.3 billion (down -0.6%)
14. New York: $970.7 million (up 204.1%)
15. Massachusetts: $830.4 million (up 24.1%)
16. Virginia: $799.3 million (up 288.3%)
17. Louisiana: $690.6 million (down -6.5%)
18. Minnesota: $435.8 million (up 30.5%)
19. Hawaii: $308.1 million (up 17.5%)
20. Ohio: $242.2 million (up 30.5%)
21. South Carolina: $218.6 million (up 45%)
22. Arizona: $199.2 million (down -14.6%)
23. Illinois: $166 million (up 68.4%)
24. Utah: $142.4 million (down -12.4%)
25. Connecticut: $91.4 million (up 102.5%)

Among the listed US states, the greatest increases in purchases of cars from international markets originated from: Virginia (up 288.3% from 2021), New York state (up 204.1%), Oregon (up 107.4%), Connecticut (up 102.5%), Illinois (up 68.4%) and Florida (up 63%).

There were 4 double-digit decliners namely car importers in Texas (down -29.2% from 2021), Tennessee (down -15%), Arizona (down -14.6%) and Utah (down -12.4%).
 

 

See also United States Top 10 Exports, United States Top 10 Imports, America’s Top 20 Export States and United States Top 10 Major Export Companies

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on October 28, 2023

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 28, 2023

United States Census Bureau, USA Trade Online. Accessed on October 28, 2023