24 Nov Led by machinery and computers, Wisconsin exports increase 13 percent
Madison, Wis. – Industrial machinery, including computer equipment, continued to be Wisconsin’s top manufacturing export commodity during the first three quarters of 2008, according to figures released by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.
Exports of industrial machinery grew by 14.7 percent to $5.3 billion during the first nine months of the year, the department said.
Overall, state exports for the first three quarters of 2008 increased by 13.1 percent over 2007 third-quarter totals, to a record $15.6 billion. For the first three quarters, Wisconsin ranks as the 18th largest exporting state, compared to its 21st largest rank in 2006.
By category, electrical machinery ranked second to industrial machinery, with a 5.2-percent increase to $1.8 billion.
Medical and scientific instruments ranked third with a 4.4 percent decrease to $1.5 billion, followed by: transportation equipment, a 19.5 percent increase to $1.4 billion; and paper and paperboard, which experienced a 0.7 percent decline to $611.6 million.
Canada remains Wisconsin’s largest international market, growing by 16.4 percent to $5.1 billion.
Mexico still is the state’s second-largest export market, as exports grew 15.1 percent to $1.3 billion, followed by: China, which saw a 2.1 percent decrease to $890.5 million; Germany, up 21.7 percent to $601.1 million, and Japan, a 14.3 percent increase to $566.9 million.