Facts & Figures

With a major U.S. port in Savannah and one of the most traveled airports in the world in Atlanta, exports support almost every aspect of Georgia’s economy. As home to major companies from Coca-Cola to Delta, Georgians have seen firsthand the growth and job creation that results from engagement in the global economy, and in 2010, Georgia increased its share of total U.S. foreign exports by 22 percent.

Job Creation

• Trade supported 1.2 million jobs in Georgia in 2008, or 21.3% of total jobs, up from 9.8% in 1992.¹
• Almost one-fifth (17.6%) of all manufacturing workers in Georgia depended on exports for their jobs.²
• In 2008, close to 180,000 people in Georgia were employed by U.S. affiliates of companies that are at least 50% foreign-owned.³

Exports and Growth

• Georgia exported $28.7 billion in merchandise to foreign markets in 2010. Georgia’s largest market in 2010 was Canada ($4.9 billion), followed by China ($2.4 billion), Mexico ($1.9 billion), Japan ($1.2 billion), and Germany ($1.0 billion).⁴
• In 2008, 10,000 companies exported goods from Georgia. Of these, 87% were small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.⁵
• Agricultural exports are important to Georgia’s economy, totaling more than $845 million and supporting about 23,000 jobs in 2010.⁶
• Since 2007, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed over $1.6 billion in exports from 119 companies in 45 communities in Georgia.⁷
• Since 1971, Overseas Private Investment Corporation has invested nearly $1 billion in companies throughout Georgia.⁸

Education and Research

• In 2008-2009, more than 7,500 Georgia students studied abroad.⁹

During 2009-2010, 14,000 international students were enrolled in Georgia colleges and universities and contributed $380 million to the Georgia economy.¹⁰

Global Engagement

• Since 1961, 2,783 Peace Corps volunteers from Georgia 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 Georgia totaled $530 million in 2008.¹²

Download the Fact Sheet

1. http://businessroundtable.org/uploads/studies-reports/downloads/Trade_and_American_Jobs.pdf
2. http://ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/state_reports/
3. Anderson, Thomas and William J. Zeile. “U.S. Affiliates of Foreign Companies Operations in 2008”. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce. http://www.bea.gov/scb/pdf/2010/11%20November/1110_us_ops.pdf
4. http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/state/data/ga.html
5. http://ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/state_reports/
6. http://www.fas.usda.gov/info/factsheets/WTO/states.html
7. https://webappsprod01.exim.gov/apps/usmap/usmap.nsf
8. http://www.opic.gov/sites/default/files/docs/OPIC_local_impact.pdf
9. Institute of International Education. “Open Doors 2010 Report on International Educational Exchange Institute of International Education”. STUDY ABROAD BY U.S. STATE http://www.iie.org/en/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/Fact-Sheets-by-US-State
10. http://www.nafsa.org/_/File/_/eis2010/Georgia.pdf
11. http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/stats/homestates.pdf
12. http://www.pvo.net/usaid/