Missouri exports on pace to set record for third year

Year-to-date exports by Missouri companies through September were $9.8 billion, compared to $9.1 billion in the same period last year. In 2006, Missouri set a record for exports with $12.8 billion in global sales – a figure that surpassed the $10.4 billion record set in 2005.

Fifteen Missouri export categories each topped $100 million in export sales through the third quarter: transportation equipment, $3.3 billion; chemicals, $1.7 billion; machinery, $871 million; electrical equipment, $519 million; food and kindred products, $515 million; agricultural products, $410 million; computer and electronic products, $367 million; fabricated metal products, $311 million; minerals and ores, $287 million; primary metal manufacturing, $239 million; waste and scrap, $204 million; plastics and rubber products, $178 million; printing and publishing, $149 million; miscellaneous manufactured products, $127 million; and leather and allied products, $123 million.