World Trade Center Utah President and CEO Lew Cramer (left) and Vice President Elizabeth Goryunova pause for a photo with the Ambassador of Brazil to the United States
Utah continues to perform impressively on the international stage, even during an economic downturn. 2008 was a record setting year for Utah exports and the World Trade Center Utah has announced that 2009 managed to equal the remarkable total of $10.3 billion in merchandise exports.
The 2009 year-end commodity export figures, announced recently by the U.S. Department of Commerce, showed double-digit decreases in exports nationally with some western states down as much as 25 percent. In total, 12 states saw merchandise exports decrease by more than 25 percent.
Contrast that with Utah that saw no decrease from the previous year—and the previous year was an all-time high.
Utah is global.
Utah’s four year export average remains very positive overall. Over 2,400 Utah businesses involved in export held their own when compared to the rest of the country, leaving Utah as the number one state in the nation poised to lead the export recovery called for by President Barack Obama. The President recently called for a doubling of exports over the next five years.
And it’s not like we benefitted from a solid start and limped to the finish line. Utah is beginning 2010 with signs of strength; as 2009 ended, the month of December was the largest single export month on record.
The World Trade Center Utah plans to work even harder with GOED, our state chambers of commerce, EDCUtah, the U.S Commercial Service and our many other strategic partners to build on this superb record for Utah in 2010.
Lew Cramer, president and CEO of the World Trade Center Utah, discusses the importance of exports to Utah’s economy. Special thanks to UtahPolicy.com.
The World Trade Center Utah hosted a seminar to teach Utah internationalists the 9 Essential Steps of Successful Internatinonal Networking, today.
The packed event is evidence of Utah’s booming international presence. Fifty international businesspeople (from 16 different countries) learned how to avoid international blunders and how to succeed in international business.
Adding to the buzz, there are indications Utah’s final trade statistics for 2009 will nearly match the record setting levels set in 2008–higher than projections indicated in November.
