Ohio is a major commercial state. In 1997, 20,099 wholesale establishments had sales of over $127 billion. The chief categories of wholesale goods traded are groceries and related products, machinery, equipment. and supplies, motor vehicles and automotive parts, metals and minerals (except petroleum), petroleum and oil products. chemicals, electrical goods, grains and other agricultural raw materials, hardware, plumbing, and heating equipment, and lumber and construction materials. Retail sales amounted to $107 billion in 1997 (7th in the country). The principal retail store groups were automotive, 13%; food stores, 11%; and eating and drinking places, 31%.
In 1998, Ohio ranked 7th in the US as an exporter of goods, with exports worth $25 billion, or 4% of the US total. Transportation equipment, nonelectric machinery, chemicals, electric and electronic equipment, primary metals, fabricated metal products, stone, clay, and glass products, and rubber and plastic products account for most of the export value.