Nicknamed “The Copper State” and “The Grand Canyon State” located in America’s southwestern region, Arizona shipped US$28.8 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2023.

That dollar amount reflects an 42.4% gain from $20.2 billion four years earlier in 2020.

Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from Arizona increased by 5.5% compared to $27.3 billion for 2022.

Arizona ranks 19th among America’s most lucrative exporters by state behind front-runners including Texas, California, Louisiana, New York state and Illinois. The value of Arizona’s exports equals 1.4% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2023, up from 1.3% one year prior.

Based on research from IBIS World, Arizona’s exported products represent 7.9% of the state’s total economic output or Gross Domestic Product in 2023 ($362.2 billion).

Given Arizona’s population of 7.453 million people, its total $28.8 billion in 2023 exports translates to roughly $3,850 for every resident in the Grand Canyon State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $3,700 per capita one year earlier in 2022.

Arizona’s unemployment rate was 3.8% in March 2024, up from 3.6% one year earlier per YCharts.

Arizona’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Arizona global shipments during 2023. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Arizona.

Figures are shown at the more granular six-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, for more precise product identification.

1. Civilian aircraft, engines or other parts: US$5 billion (17.3% of Arizona’s exports)
2. Copper ores, concentrates: $1.5 billion (5.3%)
3. Integrated circuits (processors/controllers): $1.16 billion (4%)
4. Miscellaneous electronic integrated circuits: $1.03 billion (3.6%)
5. Medical, dental or veterinarian instruments: $760 million (2.6%)
6. Miscellaneous semi-conductor devices: $549.5 million (1.9%)
7. Unroasted molybdenum ores, concentrates: $518.5 million (1.8%)
8. Parts for electrical circuits, boards, panels: $492.9 million (1.7%)
9. Bombs, mines: $417.4 million (1.4%)
10. Semi-conductor making machinery parts, accessories: $349.2 million (1.2%)

Arizona’s top 10 exports generated over two-fifths (40.9%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Molybdenum is used to make alloys increasing metals strength, hardness, electrical conductivity plus resistance to corrosion and wear. Molybdenum ores and concentrates was the strongest grower among Arizona’s top 10 export categories via a 40% advance from 2022 to 2023.

Robust growth was also posted by Arizona’s exports of medical, dental or veterinarian instruments (up 38.5% from 2022), and the number one Arizonan export category civilian aircraft, engines or other aircraft parts (up 31.8%).

The severest year-over-year decliners were for Arizona’s exports of processors and controllers for electronic integrated circuits (down -18.9% from 2022), parts and accessories for machines used to make semi-conductors (down -16.3%), then copper ores and concentrates (down -13.1%).

More Key Facts about Arizona’s International Trade

Arizona endured an overall -US$6.5 billion deficit from exporting and importing products during 2023. That dollar amount reflects a 13% expansion from -$5.8 billion in red ink for 2022.

Another way of saying surplus or deficit is positive or negative net exports. In a nutshell, the term “net exports” quantifies the amount by which foreign spending on a state’s goods or services exceeds or lags that same state’s spending on foreign goods or services.

Below are Arizona’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2023.

1. Machinery for making semi-conductors: US$1.3 billion (3.7% of Arizona’s imports)
2. Integrated circuits (processors/controllers): $1.1 billion (3.2%)
3. Static converters, power supplies: $1 billion (2.9%)
4. Tomatoes (fresh/chilled): $896.4 million (2.5%)
5. Miscellaneous electronic integrated circuits: $782 million (2.2%)
6. Lithium ion batteries: $731.1 million (2.1%)
7. Insulated wiring (for vehicles, ships, aircraft): $619.7 million (1.8%)
8. Peppers (fresh/chilled): $545.2 million (1.5%)
9. Electrical circuits, boards, panels: $528.5 million (1.5%)
10. Fresh grapes: $506.3 million (1.4%)

Arizona has negative net exports in the international trade of machinery for making semi-conductors, tomatoes, peppers and fresh grapes. In turn, these cashflows indicate Arizona’s competitive disadvantages under these product categories.

Arizona’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased over two-thirds (69.7%) worth of the total value of products exported from Arizona during 2023.

1. Mexico: US$8 billion (27.8% of Arizona’s exports)
2. Canada: $2.74 billion (9.5%)
3. Netherlands: $1.66 billion (5.8%)
4. mainland China: $1.6 billion (5.6%)
5. United Kingdom: $1.36 billion (4.7%)
6. Japan: $930.4 million (3.2%)
7. Singapore: $812.3 million (2.8%)
8. Taiwan: $790.2 million (2.7%)
9. Germany: $742.7 million (2.6%)
10. Malaysia: $661.3 million (2.3%)

Arizona’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) purchased 37.4% of the overall value of goods exported from the Copper State.

In second place were leading importers in Asia (mainland China, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia). That cohort accounted for 16.7% of Arizona’s export sales in 2023.

Top importers in Europe (Netherlands, UK and Germany) bought another 13.1% of Arizonan export sales.

Arizonan Export Companies

Seventeen of Arizona-based corporations rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Selected examples are listed below.

• Amkor Technology (semiconductor packaging, testing)
• Avnet (electronic components)
• First Solar (solar panels, power plants)
• Freeport-McMoRan (copper, gold, petroleum)
• Insight Enterprises (global technologies)
• Microchip Technology (semiconductors)
• ON Semiconductor (semiconductors, custom devices)
• Swift Transportation (truckload shipping carrier)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related products or services which each business sells.
 

Arizona’s capital is Phoenix, a city nicknamed “Valley of the Sun” or simply “The Valley”.

See also Nevada’s Top 10 Exports, Idaho’s Top 10 Exports, Kentucky’s Top 10 Exports, Iowa’s Top 10 Exports and Maryland’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
Department of Numbers, Arizona GDP (dollars shown in real terms). Accessed on May 3, 2024

FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on May 3, 2024

Forbes, Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 3, 2024

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List, Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on May 3, 2024

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 3, 2024

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 3, 2024

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Arizona. Accessed on May 3, 2024

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on May 3, 2024

Wikipedia, Arizona. Accessed on May 3, 2024

Wikipedia, List of Arizona Companies. Accessed on May 3, 2024

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on May 3, 2024

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on May 3, 2024