The history of Hawaii 's economy can be traced through a succession of dominant industries ; sandalwood , whaling , sugarcane , pineapple , the military , tourism and education . Since statehood in 1959 , tourism has been the largest industry , contributing 24.3 % of the gross state product ( GSP ) in 1997 , despite efforts to diversify . The state 's gross output for 2003 was US $47 billion ; per capita income for Hawaii residents in 2014 was US $54,516 . Hawaiian exports include food and clothing . These industries play a small role in the Hawaiian economy , due to the shipping distance to viable markets , such as the West Coast of the contiguous U.S. The state 's food exports include coffee , macadamia nuts , pineapple , livestock , sugarcane and honey .

Question: what was hawaii's primary export to the united states
Answer: coffee