Ohio's merchandise exports reached record levels last year with the help of two hockey-loving countries.
The state's exports increased 3.9 percent in 2013, from $48.6 billion in 2012 to $50.5 billion, according to theInternational Trade Administration.
Russia saw the biggest jump in Ohio exports, increasing its purchases 116 percent from the year before. The state's largest export market was Canada.
Next on the list of biggest gainers was Saudi Arabia with a 95 percent increase, and Malaysia at 50 percent.
Those countries still aren't near the top of the overall list, though. Ohio posted merchandise exports of $20 billion to its northern neighbor in 2013, representing 39.5 percent of the state's total. Canada was followed by Mexico ($5 billion), China ($3.4 billion), France ($2 billion), and the United Kingdom ($1.6 billion).
The state's largest export category is transportation equipment, which accounted for $15.9 billion of Ohio's total exports last year. Other top merchandise exports: non-electrical machinery ($6.9 billion), chemicals ($6.7 billion), computer and electronic products ($3.1 billion), and fabricated metal products ($2.7 billion).
The U.S. also claimed a record for exports, reaching $2.3 trillion in 2013.
"Exports continue to be an important driver for both the U.S. and Ohio economies," U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker said in a statement. "This data confirms that President Obama's call for increasing our exports and ensuring that trade and investment become part of our economy's DNA is the right course for Ohio."