Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON – Today, Gilbert Kaplan, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, announced the 2018 goods export data for the nation’s 392 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), highlighting that U.S. metro areas exported a significant $1.5 trillion in merchandise across the world last year. In fact, from 2017 to 2018, exports from MSAs increased $110.3 billion – or 8.1 percent, and 259 metropolitan areas reported positive export growth, with 94 reaching record-level exports.
“The Trump Administration is committed to addressing trade imbalances, breaking down trade barriers, and providing U.S. companies with new reach in foreign markets,” said Under Secretary Kaplan. “With this increase in exports over the last year and the continued work of the Commercial Service, it is a fruitful time for American businesses.”
In the Southwest region of the United States, metropolitan area goods exports totaled $355 billion, increasing 23 percent from 2017. Of the 50 metropolitan areas in this region, 37 metropolitan areas saw an increase from 2017, and 17 areas recorded record-high exports in 2018.
“The $355 billion of goods exported from the metropolitan areas of the Southwest region in 2018 indicate that local companies are realizing the benefits of global trade,” said U.S. Commercial
Service Southwest Regional Director Eric Nielsen. “Companies seeking to grow their business through exporting have the beneficial services and expertise of our local trade specialists to help with expanding into international markets.”
Seventeen metro areas in the Southwest region set re cord export levels (in millions):
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land;TX | $120,714 | 26% |
| New Orleans-Metairie; LA | $36,570 | 16% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington; TX | $36,261 | 20% |
| El Paso; TX | $30,052 | 16% |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur; TX | $21,370 | 32% |
| Corpus Christi; TX | $20,685 | 50% |
| Austin-Round Rock; TX | $12,930 | 4% |
| Laredo; TX | $9,870 | 8% |
| Lake Charles; LA | $8,362 | 27% |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission; TX | $6,628 | 17% |
| Brownsville-Harlingen; TX | $6,293 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City; LA | $562 | 12% |
For more information, please view The Metropolitan Export Series Database.
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