U.S. Exports in April Hit $182.9 Billion
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States exported $182.9 billion in goods and services in April 2012, according to data released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Commerce Department. Compared to the same time period in 2011, there has been increased activity in Australia ($9.9 billion, +26.3%), the Middle East ($2.1 billion, +23.1%), and China ($3.5 billion, +4.3%). Additionally, fiscal year-to-date authorizations through May 31 for the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) are up from $20.4 billion in 2011 to $21.9 billion in 2012.
These results demonstrate that U.S. exports remain strong even though there has been economic uncertainty throughout Europe, said Fred P. Hochberg, the chairman and president of Ex-Im Bank. Exports continue to offer American companies extraordinary opportunities to boost sales to the 95 percent of the world's customers that are located outside the U.S.
Exports of goods and services over the last twelve months totaled $2.145 trillion, which is 35.8 percent above the level of exports in 2009 and a record for the United States. Over the last twelve months, exports have been growing at an annualized rate of 14.0 percent when compared to 2009.
Over the last twelve months, the major export markets with the largest annualized increase in U.S. goods purchases were Panama (37.2 percent), Turkey (33.0 percent), Argentina (29.8 percent), Chile (29.5 percent), Honduras (29.4 percent), Hong Kong (28.9 percent), Peru (27.9 percent), Russia (27.0 percent), Brazil (24.6 percent), and Ecuador (23.0 percent). Of these, Brazil and Turkey are among the nine countries that Ex-Im has identified as having the greatest sales potential for U.S. companies. The other seven countries are Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, and Vietnam.
About Ex-Im Bank: Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal agency that helps create and maintain U.S. jobs by filling gaps in private export financing at no cost to American taxpayers. In the past five years, Ex-Im Bank has earned for U.S. taxpayers $1.9 billion above the cost of operations. The Bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms, including working capital guarantees, export-credit insurance, and financing to help foreign buyers purchase U.S. goods and services.
Ex-Im Bank approved $32.7 billion in total authorizations in FY 2011 — an all-time Ex-Im record. This total includes more than $6 billion directly supporting small-business export sales — also an Ex-Im record. Ex-Im Bank's total authorizations are supporting an estimated $41 billion in U.S. export sales and approximately 290,000 American jobs in communities across the country. For more information, visit www.exim.gov.