Mississippi

Mississippi’s manufacturing and shipping infrastructure links the state to European markets, while the University of Mississippi has established connections with the Baltic states through basketball alumni. In 2025, Mississippi exported $2 billion in goods to the European Union, demonstrating the importance of transatlantic commerce in the state's economy. Baltic athletes come to Mississippi to play basketball in their university years. For example, former University of Mississippi basketball player and assistant coach Todd Abernethy played professionally for Tartu Rock in Estonia, helping the team win the Estonian national championship in 2010. Lithuanian basketball player Justas Furmanavičius, originally from Kaunas, played for the University of Mississippi Rebels from 2016 to 2018. During his time at Ole Miss, Furmanavičius appeared in 68 games and made 24 starts before continuing his professional career in Europe, including Lithuania's basketball league. His participation reflects the university's connections with Lithuania through international collegiate athletics.

Economics

Mississippi maintains commercial connections with the Baltic states through its manufacturing, technology, and maritime industries. In 2022, seven Mississippi-based firms exported goods to Estonia, while six exported to Latvia, demonstrating established trade relationships with the region. Mississippi's leading export industries, including refined petroleum, computers, electronic equipment, and medical instruments, also overlap with major categories of U.S. exports to the Baltic states. The state's 16 ports, located along the Gulf Coast and Mississippi River, connect Mississippi businesses to international markets and provide infrastructure for trade with Europe.

Diplomacy

Mississippi's naval shipbuilding industry has contributed to multinational maritime exercises involving Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The USS Arlington (LPD-24), an amphibious transport dock constructed at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, participated in the 2017 Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) exercise alongside the three Baltic states and other NATO partners. The exercise focused on improving maritime coordination and interoperability among allied forces in the Baltic Sea region. Ingalls Shipbuilding remains one of Mississippi's largest manufacturing employers and a major producer of U.S. Navy vessels, connecting the state's defense manufacturing industry to broader transatlantic security operations.