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Texas Leads Nation In Jobs Supported By Exports

  WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce today released a new report highlighting for the first time the number of jobs supported by goods exports from each of the 50 states, which shows that goods exports from the Lone Star State led the nation by supporting 1.1 million jobs in 2013 – and merchandise exports from six metropolitan areas in the state ranked among the top 50 last year. The Houston metropolitan area registered $115 billion in goods exports in 2013 – a 4.2 percent increase from 2012 – leading the nation for a second consecutive year.

“This new research provides further evidence that exports are strengthening the economy and creating good jobs in Texas and around the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “All told, nearly one-third of our economic growth since mid-2009 has been driven by exports and 11.3 million Americans have export-supported jobs. President Obama and I are keenly focused on further increasing these record numbers by helping more American businesses of all sizes sell to the 95 percent of potential consumers who live outside our borders.”

In February, Commerce reported that U.S. merchandise exports supported 7.1 million jobs nationally in 2013. Commerce’s new Jobs Supported by Goods Exports from States 2013 economic brief shows that goods exports from Texas and the rest of the top 20 states accounted for 82 percent of the total jobs supported by merchandise exports. In fact, Texas and California combined to support one out of every four jobs supported by exports nationally.

Goods exports from the Houston; Dallas-Fort Worth ($27.6 billion); San Antonio ($19.3 billion); El Paso ($14.4 billion); Austin ($8.9 billion); and Beaumont ($8.2 billion) metropolitan areas were among the top 50 metropolitan area exporters nationally. Houston accounted for 51 percent of Texas’ total merchandise exports in 2013. Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, and Beaumont were among the 26 metropolitan areas ranked in the top 50 that achieved record export levels in 2013.

Nationally, more than 200 metropolitan areas reported positive export growth in 2013. There were 156 metropolitan areas recording more than $1 billion in merchandise exports. Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth were among 10 metropolitan areas exceeding $25 billion in goods exports last year.

Key merchandise export categories for Texas in 2013 included petroleum and coal products; computer and electronic products; chemicals; machinery, except electrical; and transportation equipment. Mexico, Canada, Brazil, China, and Brazil were the leading destinations for Texas exports.

The Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration works with American businesses of all sizes to identify export opportunities for their products and services to bolster President Obama’s National Export Initiative. A focus of the NEI is helping metropolitan areas identify regional strengths in order to increase their exports, boost the local economy, and create jobs for American workers.

For more information, please visit the Jobs Supported by Exports from States 2013 economic brief and 2013 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas Exports

Information from Department of Commerce