Comparing Metro Phoenix
Merchandise Exports
Description: National export trade statistics measure the physical movement of merchandise out of the U.S. to foreign countries. Data are available by the state from which the export was shipped, not by the state from which the export originated.
Rationale: Export activity is a measure of the strength of a state’s base industries. These are industries responsible for injecting capital into the state in return for goods. Economies depend, to some degree, upon the strength of their export industries.
Data Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/aip/elom.html#background
Comments on the Quality of the Data: The series does not represent the production origin of U.S. export merchandise. In some cases considerable manufactured exports are attributed to states that are known to have little manufacturing capability.
The primary impact is on the state distribution of nonmanufactured exports, which are generally exported by intermediaries. The most visible result is a tendency to understate exports from some agricultural states and to overstate exports from states like Louisiana that have ports that handle high-value shipments of farm products.
