Harrisburg Trade Data Summary

Posted by Nathan Book

The city of Harrisburg is considered a strategic inland port due to its role as a hub for logistics and regional distribution. Boasting access to major interstate highways and rail lines and existing in close proximity to other major ports like New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, Harrisburg supports both domestic and international trade, with the latter fostered through the presence of Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 147, which offers duty and customs advantages to businesses in the region. Additional information regarding FTZ 147 can be found here.

Recognizing the critical role of ports such as Harrisburg in stimulating trade, the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) publishes export and import statistics at the port level, along with a broad range of trade data for countries and localities around the world. The OEC utilizes data visualization to make such statistics both accessible and understandable, drawing on sources such as the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database as well as self-reported data from the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, among other entities. As such, the data published by the OEC is expansive and is updated as new statistics become available. 

The following data reflects Harrisburg’s trade activity from 2024:

• The city exported $18.1 million worth of goods and services, ranking it 238th out of the 387 U.S. ports for which export data was available.

• Its top exports were:

1. Trailers and semi-trailers ($3.59 million)

2. Telephones ($2.9 million)

3. Electrical control boards ($2.15 million)

4. Tanks and armored vehicles ($2 million)

5. Electrical transformers ($1.02 million)

• The city imported $62.2 million in goods and services, ranking it 213th out of the 367 ports with available import data in the country. 

• Its top imports were:

1. Vaccines, blood, antisera, toxins, and cultures ($57.2 million)

2. Medical instruments ($1.22 million)

3. Leather footwear ($1.11 million)

4. Aircraft parts ($1.05 million)

5. Electrical control boards ($278 thousand)

• Overall, Harrisburg held a trade deficit of $44.1 million for the year.

In addition to these figures, the OEC releases data from the most recent month for which statistics are available. Though not reflective of Harrisburg’s overall trade due to seasonal fluctuations and irregular shipping schedules, such statistics are helpful in determining trends when compared to prior months. The following data for Harrisburg comes from April 2025:

• The city’s trade of goods and services amounted to $636 thousand in exports and $52 thousand in imports. The low amount of imports can largely be attributed to increased tariffs and a previous pre-tariff surge in imports.

• The city exported most to:

1. Netherlands ($239 thousand)

2. United Arab Emirates ($85.3 thousand)

3. China ($37 thousand)

4. Costa Rica ($34.6 thousand)

5. Philippines ($33.1 thousand)

• This resulted in a trade surplus of $584 thousand for April. 

The subsequent statistics compare Harrisburg’s trade data from April 2024 to April 2025:

• Harrisburg’s exports decreased by $24.3 thousand, while imports decreased by $161 thousand.

• This decrease was explained primarily by declines in annual exports for the following products:

1. Electrical Control Boards (-$139 thousand)

2. Insulated Wire (-$53 thousand)

3. Broadcasting Equipment (-$36.3 thousand)

4. Documents of Title (-$13.4 thousand)

5. Low-Voltage Protection Equipment (-$10 thousand)

• The significant decrease in imports can largely be attributed to business and consumer responses to increased tariffs. In terms of specific goods, a notable decrease was evident in imports of leather footwear (-$137 thousand). 

• Over this period, the countries experiencing the largest increase in exports from Harrisburg were China ($33.7 thousand), United Arab Emirates ($27.3 thousand), and Ireland ($23 thousand).

• In contrast, the nations or territories with the greatest decrease in exports from the city were Australia (-$21.6 thousand), Malaysia (-$12.5 thousand), and the Netherlands (-$9.8 thousand).

The OEC’s trade data for locations around the world can be found here. Pro and premium subscriptions are also available to gain access to additional statistics. This data serves as a valuable resource for understanding global and regional trade patterns, including those relevant to Harrisburg’s international trade activity. Access to detailed information can help businesses and organizations make more informed decisions based on the region’s export and import performance.