[StBernard] Louisiana Exports Decline in First Six Months of Year, While Sales to China Surge

[Westley Annis]

Louisiana Exports Decline in First Six Months of Year, While Sales to China
Surge

Continuing to feel the full effects of the global recession and low
agricultural and oil prices, Louisiana's worldwide merchandise exports
declined by nearly one-third in value in the first half of 2009 compared to
one year earlier, according to a report issued today by the World Trade
Center of New Orleans. This follows a record-breaking year in 2008 with
exports from the state reaching nearly $42 billion. 

Louisiana's total export shipments for January-June 2009 declined 31.6
percent to $15.0 billion, compared to the first six months of 2008, while
total U.S. exports dropped by 24.6 percent, according to the WTC report.
However, even with its lower exports for the January-June period, Louisiana
moved up to 8th in the state rankings from 9th place for all of 2008.

The decrease in total vessel weight for Louisiana's exports for the first
six months of 2009 was 11.6 percent, compared to the first half of last
year, while total U.S. exports measured in tonnage registered a 15.4 percent
decline. 

Louisiana's principal export markets for the first six months of 2009 were
China, Japan and Mexico. The state's shipments to China increased 48.1
percent, reaching $2.3 billion in the first half of the year as exports to
almost all other major markets declined.

"The full effect of the prolonged worldwide recession is still impacting
Louisiana's exports to most markets. We're hopeful that the recovery that
appears to be underway in China, India, and some other countries will spread
worldwide," said Larry Collins, Director of International Services with
Louisiana Economic Development. 

Agricultural products ($6.3 billion, a fall of 24.8 percent); petroleum and
coal products ($2.57 billion, a 53.5 percent decline); chemicals ($2.53
billion; a 28.3 percent decline); and processed foods ($1.5 billion, a 28.4
percent decline) ranked as Louisiana's top exports for the January-June 2009
period.

"The recent gradual rise in oil prices may generate export opportunities for
Louisiana suppliers of oilfield services," said Donald van de Werken,
Director of the New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance Center. "For example,
many large foreign delegations are scheduled to travel to Lafayette in
October for the Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition (LAGCOE) Conference
seeking relationships with U.S. suppliers of oilfield services, equipment,
and technology."

The WTC report was generated by the World Institute of Strategic Economic
Research (WISER) from U.S. Census Bureau data. It covers the exports of both
Louisiana-originating products and some major commingled bulk commodities
(especially grain and coal) that are produced in other states, shipped
abroad from Louisiana's ports, and recorded as Louisiana exports because of
the difficulty of identifying the actual states of origin. 

"Right now is a good opportunity for Louisiana companies to become involved
in exporting or importing goods and services as the U.S. and other markets
bottom out and begin to recover," said Eugene Schreiber, Managing Director
of the World Trade Center.

The following three charts summarize the data reported above.

Trade reports that provide information on 32 industry categories of
Louisiana exports (NAICS
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102671070870&s=2636&e=001mwOqoAWOJQfYTml7O1H0b4SC
wSNsx32ngudtz7n9QOBvNQAXLVaBs7FcKwwdc7q8oaCzYOn-GvtkVvXf5Fxurgo_H_vx5HMfsbG5
EyeHeaJ_uUXSDN1-sxjF3V_gc15Vtr_T4MVhKGw=> ) and 97 commodities (HS
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102671070870&s=2636&e=001mwOqoAWOJQdnQ41p4Mr-CIHj
_DlFoZMwUysOIpAFs6vRTc8f96jpevOs4dz6b3ZUqqKJJ7Mw-LItGHuLGf0d5ogko3i9gnJ3deaf
lPyRn8GYOproXF2VA5sOLdyxiF0ddb4Zl-b--Kkw3MJ-BYGX8x7CbI_W3o3E> ) to more than
200 countries worldwide, as well as export totals of other U.S. states, are
available on the WTC's website by clicking the links below.

*	Louisiana Exports by Country
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102671070870&s=2636&e=001mwOqoAWOJQe-aJBJP8Pv1buH
HDQToxhY8ZyouMqq1GsytzjlxlOLJG1kGTfHHJMptnPhNdG5eid2KixGj-9EmqJ3t9Jhqf04ZUPj
-PET-QSx-EqFynTgcy4tSPLL9jUinA_qs2df9dM=>  (NAICS)
*	Louisiana Exports by Industry
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102671070870&s=2636&e=001mwOqoAWOJQeEbGESHvPmG-iY
XmiZiPwLjqcJsI_iaNg6k6_2GSp4taHCgVw1dwjzWALt9nCAGdxSYxA4CIyziC7kY69_TVdwo_7I
BbEVSd0E0jgjn6BtCWrqRsHnrUdcwlyzw6JftQ1NDH8Xe7C37w==>  (NAICS)
*	Louisiana Exports by Commodity
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102671070870&s=2636&e=001mwOqoAWOJQcS4ZeIfFe5LGua
AabSm64behqEdWM0pWUGPF7ox2un_PiS_TtYo0i7qydFjxGm6_LqNkc5F-pLZt3rYuExqUAUMyp0
OyHdLTVgnpabLJoV-wRszz2cyfTPZWGRz5-GehS0Nh_LCy0ndw==>  (HS)
*	U.S. Exports by State
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102671070870&s=2636&e=001mwOqoAWOJQcTYUFTAN_520ib
WgBLVrPeXLRDTewOpINMwT10e6ouo5Lx6BTOi7nBiNQJSymnA8DPWk5HDpUf4yXQfdD8gxjfZJap
H7FUGEmQtX3Oe_3FKid_kMnFfUdK4esTTJPbPWdXPTNQ1xlF4Q==>  (NAICS)

Louisiana Exports by Country
(US $, NAICS Database)  

Rank	 Description	 JUN 2008 YTD	 JUN 2009 YTD	 %2008- 2009	 
 	 TOTAL ALL COUNTRIES	 21,967,775,904	 15,033,838,490	 -31.56	 
1	 China	 1,578,918,650	 2,338,972,897	 48.14	 
2	 Japan	 1,609,817,592	 1,222,065,614	 -24.09	 
3	 Mexico	 1,920,625,811	 1,048,721,010	 -45.4	 
4	 Canada	 1,176,345,047	 798,219,614	 -32.14	 
5	 Netherlands	 1,201,285,871	 624,977,395	 -47.97	 
6	 Egypt	 889,394,187	 584,719,595	 -34.26	 
7	 South Korea	 713,153,610	 536,033,423	 -24.84	 
8	 India	 275,849,719	 425,169,955	 54.13	 
9	 Belgium	 476,969,712	 389,269,366	 -18.39	 
10	 Venezuela	 610,194,901	 376,064,654	 -38.37	 

 Louisiana Exports by Industry
(US $, NAICS Database) 

Rank	 Description	 Q2 2008 YTD	 Q2 2009 YTD	 %2008- 09	 
 	 Total all Industries	 21,967,775,904	 15,033,838,490	 -31.56	 
1	 Agricultural Products	 8,322,224,243	 6,255,337,002	 -24.84	 
2	 Petroleum And Coal Products	 5,534,318,592	 2,571,389,415
-53.54	 
3	 Chemicals	 3,528,912,319	 2,529,996,863	 -28.31	 
4	 Food And Kindred Products	 2,159,599,548	 1,545,423,119
-28.44	 
5	 Machinery, Except Electrical	 492,810,868	 526,265,672
6.79	 
6	 Primary Metal Manufacturing	 141,389,419	 319,381,344
125.89	 
7	 Transportation Equipment	 373,544,703	 214,856,001
-42.48	 
8	 Waste And Scrap	 60,458,054	 149,100,366	 146.62	 
9	 Fabricated Metal Products, Nesoi	 158,254,791	 141,821,106
-10.38	 
10	 Minerals And Ores	 259,221,522	 134,500,066	 -48.11	 

U.S. Exports by State
(US $, NAICS Database) 

Rank	 Description	 JUN 2008 YTD	 JUN 2009 YTD	 %2008- 2009	 
 	 TOTAL ALL STATES	 660,769,194,556	 498,237,289,915
-24.6	 
1	 Texas	 97,390,143,026	 74,861,071,644	 -23.13	 
2	 California	 73,218,293,822	 56,350,559,912	 -23.04	 
3	 New York	 42,143,462,439	 27,561,575,575	 -34.6	 
4	 Washington	 37,648,085,343	 24,869,586,658	 -33.94	 
5	 Florida	 26,217,290,161	 22,670,086,066	 -13.53	 
6	 Illinois	 26,478,308,607	 20,313,537,961	 -23.28	 
7	 Ohio	 22,107,331,846	 15,673,974,814	 -29.1	 
8	 Louisiana	 21,967,775,904	 15,033,838,490	 -31.56	 
9	 Michigan	 23,115,978,704	 14,168,601,044	 -38.71	 
10	 Pennsylvania	 17,077,577,771	 13,704,077,927	 -19.75	 

 Data provided by World Institute for Strategic Economic Research (WISER)
from U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division

All data Origin of Movement Series.     For full reports, visit the WTC
website at www.wtcno.org/tradestats
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