State exports by year and sector
Published 4:07 pm Saturday, April 20, 2013
In 2012, Washington was the nation’s fourth-biggest exporter, trailing only Texas, California and New York. More than half of the state’s exports fell into the federally defined category of transportation — let’s call it airplanes. Without those airplanes, the state would be ranked about 11th. What about software? Microsoft sells most of its products through the tax-friendlier state of Nevada. Over the past 15 years, the value of the state’s exports has more than doubled, for an increase of 131 percent. Here’s a look at that growth, by year and by product sector.
Washington exports by sector
| Sector | 1997 | 2012 | Change | Share of 2012 total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation equipment | $19,710,973,013 | $38,246,190,623 | 94% | 50.64% |
| Agricultural products | $2,889,660,540 | $12,040,185,787 | 317% | 15.94% |
| Petroleum and coal products | $352,889,964 | $3,787,478,330 | 973% | 5.01% |
| Computer and electronic products | $1,658,245,363 | $3,735,511,183 | 125% | 4.95% |
| Food and kindred products | $1,069,858,233 | $3,295,279,963 | 208% | 4.36% |
| Machinery, except electrical | $929,732,846 | $2,347,956,690 | 153% | 3.11% |
| Primary metal manufacturing | $671,426,888 | $1,501,274,557 | 124% | 1.99% |
| Chemicals | $647,481,711 | $1,286,974,366 | 99% | 1.70% |
| Paper | $899,533,645 | $1,243,083,497 | 38% | 1.65% |
| Fish and other marine products | $491,302,679 | $1,070,079,110 | 118% | 1.42% |
| Waste and scrap | $117,720,330 | $1,060,552,575 | 801% | 1.40% |
| Miscellaneous manufactured commodities | $272,951,451 | $908,315,340 | 233% | 1.20% |
| Electrical equipment, appliances and components | $237,967,802 | $761,412,390 | 220% | 1.01% |
| Forestry products | $817,164,012 | $744,744,399 | -9% | 0.99% |
| Wood products | $640,635,994 | $696,419,998 | 9% | 0.92% |
| Fabricated metal products | $212,625,507 | $547,521,963 | 158% | 0.72% |
| Minerals and ores | $38,927,989 | $350,987,222 | 802% | 0.46% |
| Plastics and rubber products | $135,544,813 | $349,987,705 | 158% | 0.46% |
| Livestock and livestock products | $69,571,028 | $340,677,559 | 390% | 0.45% |
| Nonmetallic mineral products | $54,339,829 | $258,009,532 | 375% | 0.34% |
| Furniture and fixtures | $25,586,421 | $190,261,203 | 644% | 0.25% |
| Oil and gas | $61,250,227 | $171,484,474 | 180% | 0.23% |
| Used or second-hand merchandise | $25,430,597 | $119,187,767 | 369% | 0.16% |
| Special classification provisions | $400,788,861 | $117,841,741 | -71% | 0.16% |
| Beverages and tobacco products | $42,173,729 | $95,784,493 | 127% | 0.13% |
| Textile mill products | $24,591,830 | $75,472,099 | 207% | 0.10% |
| Printing, publishing and similar products | $76,667,945 | $68,999,922 | -10% | 0.09% |
| Textiles and fabrics | $14,022,138 | $41,991,157 | 199% | 0.06% |
| Apparel and accessories | $29,473,775 | $34,766,746 | 18% | 0.05% |
| Leather and allied products | $24,630,518 | $26,430,410 | 7% | 0.03% |
| Goods returned to Canada | $108,561,271 | $6,131,587 | -94% | 0.01% |
| Prepackaged software | $0 | $3,533,936 | 0.00% | |
| Total all Industries | $32,751,730,949 | $75,524,528,324 | 131% | 100.00% |
SOURCE: U.S. Census via World Institute for Strategic Economic Research
