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Ohio Takes Lead in International Trade
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The recently released 2003 International Trade Division Annual Report, which shows that Ohio exports totaled $29.8 billion in 2003 -- a 7.4% increase over 2002, according to state Development Director Bruce Johnson. Nationally, exports increased by only 4.4% in 2003. "Ohio companies continue to pursue international business opportunities that will help them increase sales and create jobs for Ohio residents," Johnson says.Ohio's exports have consistently grown faster than U.S. exports over the past few years, Johnson notes. Since the end of 2000, Ohio's exports have increased more than any other state, and since the end of 1997, only Texas' exports have increased more than Ohio's. All export figures are for goods only. Exported services are not tabulated.Ohio is the nation's sixth-largest exporter. The Buckeye State ranks second in automotive goods exports and third in both plastic and machinery exports. Automotive and machinery exports account for 54% of the state's exports. In addition, Ohio's automotive exports increased more than 21% last year, Johnson reports.Ohio companies exported to 205 foreign destinations in 2003. Canada and Mexico remained Ohio's top two export markets in 2003, receiving nearly 63.8% of all Ohio exports. Ohio shipped $16.9 billion, or 57.8% of its exports, to Canada last year, while exports to Mexico have increased nearly 200% since 1996, reaching $2.1 billion last year. The United Kingdom was third with $1.2 billion in exports in 2003, followed by Japan, where Gov. Bob Taft will be leading an international trade mission this fall, with $1.1 billion in exports.The real benefit of exports is in the jobs that are created, Johnson says. According to the Institute for International Economics, every $1 billion of exports support 7,500 manufacturing jobs, meaning more than 223,000 Ohio manufacturing jobs can be attributed to last year's exports. This does not include hundreds of thousands of jobs related to exported services, or indirectly exported goods, nor those employed by firms that support exporters. "Globalization is a reality Ohio companies face every day," Johnson says. "