Gov. Andy Beshear announced on Thursday that Kentucky has again set a record for products shipped globally.
Kentucky last year shipped $47.7 billion in exports, an 18.7 percent increase over 2023’s record-setting total.
“The global demand for Kentucky-made products, made by hard-working Kentuckians right here in the commonwealth, has never been higher,” Beshear said. “For a second consecutive year we have set a new state record for exports, and that wouldn’t be possible without quality companies relying on Kentucky’s hard-working and talented workforce. The commonwealth’s commitment to developing partnerships all over the globe is critical for our long-term economic success. Now more than ever, the rest of the world is realizing that you just can’t beat a Kentucky-made product.”
According to data recently made available by the U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division and WISERTrade, Canada once again led the way as Kentucky’s top export destination, with over $9.3 billion in products. The United Kingdom (more than $4.9 billion), France (over $4.7 billion), China (more than $4.3 billion), and Mexico (over $4.1 billion) remain in the top five destinations for Kentucky-made products.
Other top trade partners included Brazil, Netherlands, Malaysia, Germany, and Singapore.
Aerospace products and parts remained Kentucky’s top export in 2024. The industry shipped more than $18.9 billion in products out of the United States, representing a nearly 41.8 percent increase over the previous year, the governor’s office said.
Motor vehicles and pharmaceuticals/medicines remain among Kentucky’s leading exports. Motor vehicles saw $4.4 billion in products distributed and an 18 percent increase over the previous year, while $3.7 billion worth of pharmaceuticals were shipped globally.
Motor vehicle parts (nearly $2 billion) and engines, turbines and power transmission equipment (over $1.7 billion) round out the top five products categories shipped from the commonwealth.
“Kentucky’s export growth builds on the best five-year period for economic growth in state history,” according to the governor’s office.
For more information on Kentucky exports, visit kyexports.com.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
