QuoteSubmitted by Abel Harding on July 26, 2010 - 7:02am
Abel Harding
Jacksonville produced $3.8 billion in exports in 2008. That figure, which amounted to 6.4 percent of what the metropolitan area produced, supported 29,930 jobs, according to a new report by the Brookings Institution.
The city, the 40th largest metropolitan area in the country, ranked 68th in terms of exports produced, the largest of which was Travel and Tourism.
Despite the fact that four of the nations 40 largest metropolitan areas are in Florida, the state only has two areas - Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater - that rank among the country's 40 largest export producers.
“True economic recovery and job growth in America will depend on substantial growth in the amount of goods and services we sell to other nations,†said Bruce Katz, vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, in a statement released with the study. “Metropolitan areas already lead the nation in export production, and they will be the vanguard of export growth in the years to come.â€
Four metro areasâ€"Houston, New Orleans, Portland, OR, and Wichita, KSâ€"actually doubled their exports between 2003 and 2008.
full article: http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/401574/abel-harding/2010-07-25/jacksonville-struggling-export-rankings-positive-signs
Jacksonville's largest export is Travel and Tourism?