Why China Matters to Minnesota
Minnesota’s trade relationship with China continues its upward trajectory in 2022 with an 8% increase in goods exported, reaching a total value of $4.4 billion, the highest year on record for the state. China is the state’s top agricultural export market, as the commodities the state produces (soybeans, hogs, corn, feed, dairy) are in high demand in China. Leading multinational corporations headquartered in Minnesota such as 3M, General Mills, and Cargill have significant business interests in China. Chinese business involvement benefits the state in other ways as well, such as with Cirrus, the Duluth-based aircraft company purchased by a Chinese owner in 2011. It is now one of the city’s major employers with 1,588 workers. Embracing its connections with China, Minnesota also celebrated the 35th anniversary of its sister-city relationship with Changsha during the Mid-autumn festival, featuring over 35 groups from the Twin Cities’ Asian community, highlighting its multicultural spirit and engagement with Asian partners. The Minnesota-China relationship also boasts strong educational partnerships. University of Minnesota is home to one of the largest groups of Chinese students in the U.S. and has educated some of China’s leading agriculture experts. Many educational institutions in Minnesota, ranging from boarding schools to private colleges, enjoy a great reputation in China and attract significant numbers of Chinese students to the state. At the local level, Mayor Kim Norton of Rochester participated in USHCA’s 2023 Heartland Mayors Delegation to China to explore opportunities for city-to-city collaborations around energy transition, climate mitigation, and green economy.
Minnesota’s trade relationship with China continues its upward trajectory in 2022 with an 8% increase in goods exported, reaching a total value of $4.4 billion, the highest year on record for the state. China is the state’s top agricultural export market, as the commodities the state produces (soybeans, hogs, corn, feed, dairy) are in high demand in China.
This leap is even more drastic compared to the status of its exports in 2018 during the trade war, when the revenue totaled a relatively modest $2.5 billion. While Minnesota’s robust and diversified exports to China meant billions in exporting, individual industries nevertheless suffered, as oilseeds and grains exporting to China dropped from $1.0 billion in 2017 to $275 million in 2018. The impact was felt elsewhere as well, most especially in Minnesotan’s pockets as businesses paid an extra $704 million in import taxes on products subject to tariffs in 2019.
Leading multinational corporations headquartered in Minnesota such as 3M, General Mills, and Cargill have significant business interests in China. Chinese business involvement benefits the state in other ways as well, such as with Cirrus, the Duluth-based aircraft company purchased by a Chinese owner in 2011. It is now one of the city’s major employers with 1,588 workers.
Chinese culture was celebrated as part of the Urban Expedition:2022 Series: a joint effort by Landmark Center and Global Minnesota’s in partnership with CAAM Chinese Dance Theater.
Embracing its connections with China, Minnesota also celebrated the 35th anniversary of its sister-city relationship with Changsha during the Mid-autumn festival, featuring over 35 groups from the Twin Cities’ Asian community, highlighting its multicultural spirit and engagement with Asian partners. The Minnesota-China relationship also boasts strong educational partnerships.
At the local level, Mayor Kim Norton of Rochester participated in USHCA’s 2023 Heartland Mayors Delegation to China to explore opportunities for city-to-city collaborations around energy transition, climate mitigation, and green economy.
University of Minnesota is home to one of the largest groups of Chinese students in the U.S. and has educated some of China’s leading agriculture experts. Many educational institutions in Minnesota, ranging from boarding schools to private colleges, enjoy a great reputation in China and attract significant numbers of Chinese students to the state.
This data and content is updated periodically. The most recent update was January 2024.
Minnesota’s trade relationship with China continues its upward trajectory in 2022 with an 8% increase in goods exported, reaching a total value of $4.4 billion, the highest year on record for the state. China is the state’s top agricultural export market, as the commodities the state produces (soybeans, hogs, corn, feed, dairy) are in high demand in China. Leading multinational corporations headquartered in Minnesota such as 3M, General Mills, and Cargill have significant business interests in China. Chinese business involvement benefits the state in other ways as well, such as with Cirrus, the Duluth-based aircraft company purchased by a Chinese owner in 2011. It is now one of the city’s major employers with 1,588 workers. Embracing its connections with China, Minnesota also celebrated the 35th anniversary of its sister-city relationship with Changsha during the Mid-autumn festival, featuring over 35 groups from the Twin Cities’ Asian community, highlighting its multicultural spirit and engagement with Asian partners. The Minnesota-China relationship also boasts strong educational partnerships. University of Minnesota is home to one of the largest groups of Chinese students in the U.S. and has educated some of China’s leading agriculture experts. Many educational institutions in Minnesota, ranging from boarding schools to private colleges, enjoy a great reputation in China and attract significant numbers of Chinese students to the state. At the local level, Mayor Kim Norton of Rochester participated in USHCA’s 2023 Heartland Mayors Delegation to China to explore opportunities for city-to-city collaborations around energy transition, climate mitigation, and green economy.
Minnesota’s trade relationship with China continues its upward trajectory in 2022 with an 8% increase in goods exported, reaching a total value of $4.4 billion, the highest year on record for the state. China is the state’s top agricultural export market, as the commodities the state produces (soybeans, hogs, corn, feed, dairy) are in high demand in China.
This leap is even more drastic compared to the status of its exports in 2018 during the trade war, when the revenue totaled a relatively modest $2.5 billion. While Minnesota’s robust and diversified exports to China meant billions in exporting, individual industries nevertheless suffered, as oilseeds and grains exporting to China dropped from $1.0 billion in 2017 to $275 million in 2018. The impact was felt elsewhere as well, most especially in Minnesotan’s pockets as businesses paid an extra $704 million in import taxes on products subject to tariffs in 2019.
Leading multinational corporations headquartered in Minnesota such as 3M, General Mills, and Cargill have significant business interests in China. Chinese business involvement benefits the state in other ways as well, such as with Cirrus, the Duluth-based aircraft company purchased by a Chinese owner in 2011. It is now one of the city’s major employers with 1,588 workers.
Chinese culture was celebrated as part of the Urban Expedition:2022 Series: a joint effort by Landmark Center and Global Minnesota’s in partnership with CAAM Chinese Dance Theater.
Embracing its connections with China, Minnesota also celebrated the 35th anniversary of its sister-city relationship with Changsha during the Mid-autumn festival, featuring over 35 groups from the Twin Cities’ Asian community, highlighting its multicultural spirit and engagement with Asian partners. The Minnesota-China relationship also boasts strong educational partnerships.
At the local level, Mayor Kim Norton of Rochester participated in USHCA’s 2023 Heartland Mayors Delegation to China to explore opportunities for city-to-city collaborations around energy transition, climate mitigation, and green economy.
University of Minnesota is home to one of the largest groups of Chinese students in the U.S. and has educated some of China’s leading agriculture experts. Many educational institutions in Minnesota, ranging from boarding schools to private colleges, enjoy a great reputation in China and attract significant numbers of Chinese students to the state.
This data and content is updated periodically. The most recent update was January 2024.
Exports
China's Ranking
In State's Global Trading Partners 2022
#2
Decade Average
Goods Exporting to China
2008-2017 Pre-Trade War
$2.8 Billion
Highest Year on Record
Goods Exporting to China
2022
% State Global Exporting to china
14%
of Goods Exports 2022
5%
of Service Exports 2021
State Ranking in Heartland
#5
In Total Goods Exports Value 2022
#8
In Total Service Exports Value 2021
State Ranking in U.S.
#8
In Total Goods Exports Value 2022
#20
In Total Service Exports Value 2021
China's Ranking
In State's Global Trading Partners 2022
#2
Decade Average
Goods Exporting to China
2008-2017 Pre-Trade War
$2.8 Billion
Highest Year on Record
Goods Exporting to China
2022
% State global exporting to china
14%
of Goods Exports 2022
5%
of Service Exports 2021
State Ranking in Heartland
#5
In Total Goods Exports Value 2022
#8
In Total Service Exports Value 2021
State Ranking in U.S.
#8
In Total Goods Exports Value 2022
#21
In Total Service Exports Value 2021
Partnership
Sister Cities
- Minneapolis/Harbin
- Red Wing/Quzhou
- Rochester/Xianyang
- Saint Paul/Changsha
Sister Partnership
Minnesota
Shaanxi
Export Details
2022
Goods Exports
$4.4 Billion
(USCBC Export Report 2023) +8%
1
Oilseeds & Grains ($2B)
+17%
2
Semiconductors & Components ($444M)
-4%
3
Misc. General Purpose Machinery ($403M)
+24%
2021
Service Exports
$565 Million
(USCBC Export Report 2023) +5%
1
Education ($130M)
-7%
2
Royalties from Industrial Processes ($110M)
+1%
3
Misc. Financial Services ($48M)
-9%
blank
Jobs
31,880
Jobs supported by exports to China in 2021 (USCBC Export Report 2023)
2,800
Jobs supported by Chinese companies (NCUSR Rhodium Group 2018)
+72
Chinese companies operating in-state (NCUSR Rhodium Group 2018)
1
China Aviation Industry General Aircraft 850 jobs
2
WH Group 500 jobs
3
Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group 300 jobs
Education
(IIE Open Doors 2023)
Top educational Institutions with chinese enrollment
- University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
- Minnesota State University – Mankato
- St. Cloud State University – St. Cloud
3,064
Estimated number of Chinese International Students in-State
$130 Million
Estimated revenue added by Chinese International Students (USCBC Export Report 2022)
Chinese-American Population
39,622
(APIAVote 2022)
Goods Exporting
Oilseeds & Grains accounted for 45% of Minnesota’s total goods exports to China in 2022
$2.8 Billion
Chinese Foreign Direct Investment from 1990-2020
(Rhodium Group’s US-China Investment Hub)
Some data is not visible on mobile devices and some tablets. To see all available data please view on a high resolution full size tablet or a desktop/laptop computer.
For the states’ trade statistics: USCBC Export Report 2023.
For information relating to Chinese companies operating in-state: Rhodium Group and National Committee on U.S. China Relations’ “New Neighbors: 2018 Update”.
For information relating to Chinese international students: Open Doors’ 2023 Annual Data.
For the population of Chinese Americans in-state: APIAVote’s “2022 AAPI Voter Demographics by State”
For FDI: Rhodium Group’s US-China Investment Hub.
For sister city relationship information: Asia Matters for America by the East-West Center.
For foreign land ownership legislation: Mykel R. Taylor, Wendong Zhang, and Festus Attah. 2023. “Foreign Interests in U.S. Agricultural Lands: The Missing Conversations about Leasing.”