
Yes.
Like most northern states, South Dakota’s biggest trading partner is Canada.
In 2023, South Dakota exported $1.9 billion worth of goods to Canada and $1.4 billion to its No. 2 trading partner, Mexico. It also imported the most goods from Canada, followed by China and Brazil. The top export was soybeans and the biggest import was machinery.
The state’s export numbers mirror the U.S. as a whole, with Canada being the top importer of U.S. goods for several years.
Canada is also the top importer in 23 states, supplying the largest amount of grain, livestock, meat and poultry to the U.S., according to Visual Capitalist.
Canada’s proximity along with its complementary agricultural interests and favorable trade agreements explain its status as the nation’s top trading partner.
Sources
Visual Capitalist, Mapped: The top import partner of every U.S. state
South Dakota Trade, 2023 trading statistics
U.S. International Trade Commission, U.S. trade by industry sectors and selected trading partners
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Canada:Trade
South Dakota News Watch partners with Gigafact, a nonprofit network of nonpartisan newsrooms, to verify claims through fact briefs. Read previous fact briefs and our verification standards and other best practices policies.
Have a question we can answer? Submit it at the South Dakota News Watch Tipline. Send questions or feedback to factbrief@sdnewswatch.org.
This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email to get stories when they're published. Contact Megan Luther at megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org.