Contact:    
Stuart Doyle
(407) 956-5689
sdoyle@eflorida.com

Florida’s trade level undergoes hefty increase in 2008 

ORLANDO, FL (February 25, 2009) – The latest statistics on Florida’s imports and exports reveal significant increases in overall trade.  In 2008:

• Total merchandise trade – imports and exports – reached $130.5 billion, a 13.7 percent increase above the 2007 total.  Total U.S. trade grew by 9 percent
  
  
• Merchandise exports reached $73 billion, an increase of 23.9 percent over 2007.  U.S. export growth was 11.8 percent
  
  
• Florida imports gained 2.9 percent, totaling $57.5 billion, while U.S. imports grew by 7.3 percent last year.
  
  
• The Miami Customs District had the largest trade surplus -- $19.6 billion more in exports than imports -- among all 59 U.S. Customs Districts.  The next closest area was the Seattle/Tacoma Customs District with a $9.6 billion trade surplus.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that international companies on average, grow faster, pay 15 percent higher wages and are much more profitable than those that do not export.  Manny Mencía, who heads Enterprise Florida’s international business, emphasizes that trade and foreign investment support employment in every area of the state.  In 2008, jobs sustained by exports of goods totaled 596,992, and by exports of services, 424,760.

“At the same time, we’ve succeeded at advancing Florida to becoming one of the largest exporters in our nation,” Mencía said.  “We surpassed Illinois by the end of October, positioning Florida as the fifth largest export state.”

Florida’s top five export destinations have been Brazil, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico, and Colombia.  And leading origin exports have included

• industrial machinery, including computers
  
• electric machinery (e.g., sound equipment; TV equipment, parts)
  
• vehicles (excluding railway or tramway) and parts
  
• optical, photographic, medical or surgical instruments
  
• aircraft, spacecraft and parts

Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a partnership between Florida's business and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida.  Headquartered in Orlando, EFI’s mission is to diversify Florida’s economy and create better-paying jobs for its citizens by supporting, attracting and helping to create businesses in innovative, high-growth industries.  In pursuit of its mission, EFI works closely with a statewide network of economic development partners and is funded both by the State of Florida and by private-sector businesses.

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