Utah cashing in on record level of exports

The Utah economy still may be struggling to throw off the ill effects of the national economic downturn, but when it comes to exports, activity is at a record level.

The value of the state’s merchandise exports, from its precious metals to high-tech medical products, reached $13.6 billion in 2010, a 31 percent increase over the record set in 2009, according to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

More significantly, the U.S. International Trade Administration said Utah was the only state where the value of its exports doubled in the past five years — an increase that resulted in export-related jobs rising from around 45,000 in 2006 to 93,000 last year.

By Steven Oberbeck

The Salt Lake Tribune

Full Story: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/51339727-79/utah-state-exports-trade.html.csp