Missouri on track to set export record again

Exports from Missouri companies through Sept. 30 were $9.1 billion, up from $7.4 billion in third-quarter 2005, according to a report from the World Institute for Strategic Economic Research.

Top performing categories included transportation equipment, at $3.4 billion; chemicals, at $1.4 billion; machinery, at $819 million; food and kindred products, at $543 million; and electrical equipment, at $439 million.

Other categories topping $100 million were computer and electronic products, fabricated metal products, waste and scrap, minerals and ores, primary metal manufacturing, plastics and rubber products, agricultural products, printing and publishing, miscellaneous manufactured commodities, and leather and allied products.

Missouri’s export total ranked it 27th among all states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Show-Me State surpassed neighbors Kansas, Iowa and Arkansas.

In 2005, Missouri set an exports record with $10.5 billion in global sales, and the state is on track to top that this year, according to a Department of Economic Development news release.

Last year, Missouri’s top 10 export recipients were Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, China, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Australia.