Louisiana exports grew by 9.3 percent to $32.1 billion

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La. exports up 9.3 percent at midyear

Louisiana exports grew by 9.3 percent to $32.1 billion during the first half of the year, according to figures from the World Trade Center of New Orleans.

The export growth — fueled by agriculture and oil and gas goods — enabled Louisiana to remain in sixth place among all of the states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Louisiana accounted for 3.6 percent of the $804 billion in total U.S. exports through midyear.

“After a slower year in 2013 and a currently sluggish national export growth at 3 percent, Louisiana’s midyear numbers are very exciting. Exports from our state are up 9.3 percent over the last year and outpacing the national average,” said Dominik Knoll, chief executive officer of the World Trade Center. “This is due to great efforts from our Louisiana exporters, who are getting strong support from the state, entities like us, as well as from federal agencies such as the Department of Commerce.”

Louisiana’s two main export markets remained unchanged from 2013, with Mexico and China retaining 10.4 percent and 9.5 percent of the market share, respectively, followed by Canada, the Netherlands and Japan, with Colombia, Egypt, France, Brazil and Panama close behind.

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Even though the current expansion is still incomplete, a Chinese delegations says it’s interested in even bigger locks at the Panama Canal

BY MIMI WHITEFIELD
MWHITEFIELD@MIAMIHERALD.COM

PANAMA CITY, Panama -- With some 16 months to go before Panama expects to finish its canal expansion, could another set of locks to handle even bigger ships be in its future?

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