Facts & Figures

Arizona has benefited from global trade and particularly from NAFTA—over a third of all Arizona’s exports go to Mexico. Arizona’s strong manufacturing sector exports, particularly in computer and electronic products, electrical products, and transportation, drive economic growth.

Job Creation

Trade supported more than 730,000 jobs in Arizona in 2008, or 21.5% of total jobs, up from 11% in 1992.¹
Almost one-quarter (22.6%) of all manufacturing workers in Arizona depended on exports for their jobs.²
In 2008, over 76,000 people in Arizona were employed by foreign-controlled companies.³

Exports and Growth

Arizona exported $15.7 billion in merchandise to foreign markets in 2010. Arizona’s largest market in 2010 was Mexico ($5.1 billion), followed by Canada ($2.0 billion), China ($1.0 billion), Germany ($663 million), and Singapore ($660 million).⁴
In 2008, about 5,800 companies exported goods from Arizona. Of these, 89% were small- and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.⁵
Agricultural exports are important to Arizona’s economy, totaling over $620 million and supporting around 7,600 jobs in 2009.⁶
Since 2007, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed close to $200 million in exports from 89 companies in 15 communities in Arizona.⁷
Since 1971, Overseas Private Investment Corporation has invested $3.5 billion in companies throughout Arizona.⁸

Education and Research

During the 2008-2009 academic year, nearly 3,900 Arizona students studied abroad.⁹
In 2009-2010, over 10,500 international students were enrolled in Arizona colleges and universities and contributed $243 million to the Arizona economy.¹⁰

Global Engagement

Since 1961, more than 3,000 Peace Corps volunteers from Arizona have served in
dozens of countries overseas.¹¹
Support from U.S. government grants and contracts to private voluntary organizations engaged in foreign assistance and development in Arizona totaled $41 million in 2008.¹²

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http://www.businessroundtable.org/initiatives/international
http://ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/state_reports/
Anderson, Thomas and William J. Zeile. “Operations of U.S. Affiliates of Foreign Companies: Preliminary Results From the 2007 Benchmark Survey”. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce. http://www.bea.gov/scb/pdf/2009/11%20November/1109_foreign.pdf
http://ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/state_reports/
http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/state_reports/index.html
http://www.fas.usda.gov/info/factsheets/WTO/states.html
https://webappsprod01.exim.gov/apps/usmap/usmap.nsf
http://www.opic.gov/sites/default/files/docs/OPIC_local_impact.pdf
Institute of International Education. “Open Doors 2009 Report on International Educational Exchange Institute of International Education”. Table 26 STUDY ABROAD BY U.S. STATE, 2006/07 & 2007/08 http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/?p=150840
http://www.nafsa.org/public_policy.sec/international_education_1
http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/stats/homestates.pdf
http://www.pvo.net/usaid/