Oklahoma’s Economy Faces Some Exposure to Trade Disruptions Latest Edition of the Oklahoma Economist Released

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 16, 2025

CONTACT: Sarah Dickson

OKLAHOMA CITY- The Oklahoma City Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City released its latest issue of the Oklahoma Economist, titled “Oklahoma's Trade Landscape: Broadly Insulated, Yet Exposed in Key Sectors.” This edition examines the concentration of the state’s exports and imports to determine how it could be exposed to trade disruptions.

International trade activity in Oklahoma is relatively limited, but a few key sectors produce goods which often rely on trade abroad for procuring inputs and selling outputs, according to Cortney Cowley, assistant vice president and Oklahoma City Branch executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

“Oklahoma’s international trade has focused on select products, particularly aerospace exports and oil imports from Canada,” she said. “While Oklahoma has less exposure to international trade in aggregate, the state’s specialization in trade-heavy sectors and reliance on Canadian oil could leave pockets of the economy exposed to trade disruptions.”

Cowley said Oklahoma’s concentration in these trade-heavy sectors could cause headwinds to manufacturing employment in the event of trade disruptions and price shocks heading forward.

“The state’s manufacturing employment has grown this year but has been concentrated in sectors that rely on international trade such as aerospace parts, metals, and machinery,” she said. “The impact to the state likely depends on the adaptability of its producers’ supply chains and evolving market conditions.”

The complete issue is available at External Linkwww.kansascityfed.org/oklahomacity/oklahoma-economist.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City serves the Tenth Federal Reserve District, encompassing the western third of Missouri; all of Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming; and the northern half of New Mexico. As part of the nation’s central bank, the Bank participates in setting national monetary policy, supervising and regulating numerous commercial banks and bank holding companies, and providing financial services to depository institutions. More information is available online at External Linkwww.kansascityfed.org.

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