YSU-led export study highlights Ohio’s global trade strengthens, industry-driven research

Youngstown State University is positioning itself as a statewide leader in applied international trade research through a comprehensive export trend analysis that examines seven years of Ohio trade data and connects it directly to workforce development, business growth and student learning.

Led by Mousa Kassis, director of YSU’s Small Business Development Center Export Assistance Network and the YSU Ohio Export Internship Program, and Mariah Hauser, international trade specialist within YSU’s SBDC EAN, the study analyzed Ohio exports from 2018 through 2024 using data from the Ohio Department of Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The project was developed and executed with direct support from YSU graduate assistant, Nathan Heinly, and Beegly Fellows, James Slessor and Moritz Bayer, who are also alumni of the Ohio Export Internship Program.

“This research was built to answer real questions Ohio businesses are facing,” said Kassis. “By connecting years of data instead of looking at isolated reports, we can see how inductees responded to global disruptions and where Ohio remains most competitive. In addition, analyzing the data serves specific goals: creating actionable items for exporters, supporting economic development partners, informing state and federal legislators about Ohio’s global competitiveness and involving Williamson College of Business Administration faculty and students in empirical research.”

The analysis focused on Ohio’s top 10 export markets, which together account for 75.7% of the state’s total exports. Canada remained Ohio’s largest export destination at $19.9 billion annually, followed by Mexico at $9.6 billion. Europe accounted for 15.3% of Ohio exports, while Asia represented 12.3% over the student period.

The research also examined Ohio’s top 15 export commodities and identified six major industry clusters that consistently trended upward across global markets. Those industries – including industrial machinery, electrical machinery, aircraft and parts, optical and medical instruments, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics and essential oils – represented 42.7% of all Ohio exports during the seven-year period.

Industrial machinery emerged as Ohio’s largest export category at $9.8 billion, ranking the state fifth nationally in that sector. Electrical machinery exports grew by 22.3%, driven largely by electric shortage batteries exceeding $1 billion in value.

The study also revealed how Ohio exporters adapted during periods of global disruption. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio rose to seventh nationally in export ranking as demand surged for industrial machinery, medical equipment and pharmaceutical products.

Hauser said the data strengthens YSU’s ability to support companies across the region.

“When we advise manufacturers on export markets or compliance, we can now point to seven years of trend data to support those recommendations,” Hauser said. “That allows us to move from reacting to challenges to proactively helping businesses plan for growth.”

Student involvement was a core component of the project. Heinly, Slessor and Bayer helped gather, analyze and visualize data, gaining hands-on experience with real export figures used by economic development organizations and policymakers.

“This project shows the power of applied learning,” said Kassis. “Students weren’t working with theoretical models – they were contributing to a statewide analysis that directly supports Ohio jobs and economic growth.”

According to the analysis, international trade represents approximately 27% of Ohio’s gross domestic product, underscoring the role exports play in employment and economic stability statewide.

The full export analysis spans more than 160 pages and is supported by a public takeaway report to make the findings accessible to business leaders, educators and policymakers.

YSU plans to build on the project by incorporating future export data and expanding the research to include Ohio import trends.