Facts & Figures

As the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana benefits from not only from its own exports but from its role as the primary port for billions of dollars worth of goods from across the country. Agricultural products, petroleum and coal, chemicals, value-added food and machinery exports are major parts of Louisiana’s economy, and only continue to grow— exports between 2004 and 2010 more than doubled from $19 billion to $40 billion.

Job Creation

Trade supported 551,800 jobs in Louisiana in 2008, or 21.6% of total jobs, up from 10.9% in 1992.((http://businessroundtable.org/uploads/studies-reports/downloads/Trade_and_American_Jobs.pdf
More than one-sixth (16.9%) of all manufacturing workers in Louisiana depended on exports for their jobs.((http://www.trade.gov/mas/ian/statereports/
In 2008, 48,100 people in Louisiana were employed by U.S. affiliates of companies that are at least 50% foreign-owned.((http://www.bea.gov/scb/pdf/2010/11%20November/1110_us_ops.pdf

Exports and Growth

Louisiana exported $41.3 billion in merchandise to foreign markets in 2010. Louisiana’s largest market in 2010 was China ($6.5 billion), followed by Japan ($3.1 billion), Mexico ($2.8 billion), the Netherlands ($2.1 billion), and Canada ($2.0 billion).¹
In 2008, 2,724 companies exported goods from Louisiana. Of these, 86% were small- and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.
Agricultural exports are important to Louisiana’s economy, totaling $926 million and supporting about 10,725 jobs in 2008.²
Since 2007, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $865.58 million in exports from 118 companies in 43 communities in Louisiana.³

Education and Research

During the 2008–2009 academic year, 1,490 Louisiana students studied abroad.⁴
In 2009–2010, 7,245 international students were enrolled in Louisiana colleges and universities and contributed $138.2 million to the Louisiana economy.⁵

Global Engagement

Since 1961, 981 Peace Corps volunteers from Louisiana have served in dozens of countries overseas.⁶

http://www.trade.gov/mas/ian/statereports/
http://www.fas.usda.gov/info/factsheets/WTO/states.html
https://webappsprod01.exim.gov/apps/usmap/usmap.nsf
http://www.iie.org/en/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/Fact-Sheets-by-US-State
http://www.nafsa.org/publicpolicy/default.aspx?id=23158
http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/stats/homestates.pdf