By Jordan A. Rothacker

Georgia’s capital city Atlanta bears the motto, “Resurgens,” on public buildings with the image of a phoenix rising strong and reborn out of enveloping flames. The motto first started appearing during Reconstruction as the rail-town rebuilt itself into a center of commerce facilitating the passage of goods around the state and fostering local industry. This attitude of rebuilding mightier from the ashes of the past has carried the city, along with the whole state, into a bold future of international business and trade where it now finds itself. 

Today,  Georgia is a major player on the world stage for manufacturing a wide array of utilized and widely enjoyed products. 

The data backs this up. According to a 2025 report from the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the state ranks seventh for overall trade – right behind Texas, California, Illinois, New York, Michigan and Indiana. While Georgia fell one spot from its 2024 sixth place ranking, it is now ranked ninth in the nation when it comes to exports, up from 12th place in 2024. Georgia still out-buys what it sells with $150.5 billion in total imports, but this is a significant jump.

The highest grossing types of products out of Georgia right now are:

1. Civilian aircrafts and related parts. 
2. Computers, hardware and digital storage. 
3. Motor vehicles. 
4. Network communications equipment. 
5. Medical devices. 

In an almost ironic twist, the top three products imported into Georgia are computers, hardware, and digital storage,  motor vehicles, and network communications equipment, but this is actually a trading standard. 

The report also ranked Georgia’s top international trade partners. For exports, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Germany and the Netherlands hold the top five spots. Georgia’s top five import countries are Mexico, China, South Korea, Germany and Vietnam. 

All of these countries have been affected by President Donal Trump’s sweeping tariffs in some way. But for the country’s two closest neighbors, Mexico and Canada, the 2020 United States-Mexican-Canadian Agreement (USMCA) saves certain imported goods from pricey tariffs. 

Unapproved goods aren’t exempted, though. Other imports from Mexico have had a 25% tariff since 2025. The majority of Canadian imports qualify as “approved” goods, but items like energy products and potash have 10% tariffs. Other products have 35% tariffs as they enter the U.S. 

With Mexico now Georgia’s first all-around trading partner, the USMCA appears to be fulfilling its publicly stated aspiration to create “more balanced, reciprocal trade supporting high-paying jobs for Americans and grow the North American economy,” according to the Office of the United States Trade Representation website.  

Georgia has 100 miles of coast. At both ends, the Brunswick and Savannah ports are open for business. Between both locations, the Georgia Port Authority reported 2.439 vessel calls in fiscal year 2025 – a scheduled stop for ships to conduct load, unload and operate.

Savannah had more than double the activity of Brunswick, with 1,701 calls. But Brunswick has seen steady growth over the last five years,  with last year up 29% from the year before. The total tonnage for those ships also reached record volumes of roughly 42.6 million. About 89% of that is from container tonnage (the weight of the cargo being carried). This is a notable 4% total growth over the previous year, and clearly a factor in the surge for Georgia into the 9^th place nationally for exports. 

This growth has occurred in spite of President Trump’s tariffs, but potential refunds could bolster the trade world. In February, the Supreme Court ruled the president could not use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, to issue tariffs. The ruling came from two cases on appeal before the Court—Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, Inc.

“The United States may be required to refund billions of dollars to importers who paid the IEEPA tariffs,” opined the Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in his dissent.   

It is yet to be seen what the recent SCOTUS ruling on tariffs could mean for international trade in Georgia, but refunds would provide a welcome infusion of cash. 

So far, 2026 is off to a fine start. Despite tariffs Georgia is rising in the ranks with record exports and busy ports. Just as the state rebuilt itself into a commerce center years ago, it is building itself into a solid presence on the trade world stage – without having to rise from the ashes.