Per Capita Exports Rival that of Largest Export States
North Dakota exports continued to rise in the second quarter of 2012, bringing exports through June to $2.05 billion, a nearly 24 percent increase over the same period in 2011. Exports of Machinery, Ag Products, Chemicals, Food Manufactures and Transportation Equipment accounted for a nearly 15 percent increase over the same period in 2011, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. These figures do not include bulk commodity export data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which accounts for over half of all North Dakota exports.
North Dakota’s exports per capita top seven of the nation’s 10 largest exporting states, including California the nation’s second largest overall exporter. North Dakota’s per-capita exports are valued at $2,992 compared to California’s per-capita rate of $2,174. Texas, the nation’s largest overall exporter, has a per-capita export value of $5,094.
“Exports continue to be an important force in North Dakota’s economy,” said Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley, chairman of the North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO) Board of Directors. “Our small-to-medium sized businesses across the state do phenomenal work exporting North Dakota products across the globe. About 875 companies export from North Dakota and 750 of these companies are small businesses. With the help of organizations such as NDTO, these small businesses can continue to increase their exports.”
The top ten international markets for exports from North Dakota over the first half of the year were Canada, Mexico, Australia, Belgium, Russia, Venezuela, Germany, Japan, Czech Republic, and United Kingdom. Many countries to which NDTO led Trade Missions over the past year showed significant export growth including Kazakhstan (127% increase), Korean Republic (112% increase), and Indonesia (207% increase). Top export products to the world include oil, front end shovel loaders, agricultural tractors, soil-related agriculture equipment, wheat, corn and legumes.
“It’s important for North Dakota to understand that export figures are reported much differently from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the USDA,” said Dean Gorder, Executive Director of NDTO. “When we report Commerce data, we are only reporting commercial products, which typically account for less than 50 percent of all the exports from North Dakota. USDA data for 2011 will be available in October.”
Since 2000, commercial exports from ND have increased over 400 percent, from approximately $626 million in 2000 to over $3.3 billion in 2011.