Facts & Figures

New Mexico is a world leader in high-tech exports. New Mexico is 8th in the nation in terms of high-tech export concentration, and the sector supports 9,100 jobs in the state. New Mexico’s leading tech export destinations are China, Canada, and Mexico.

Job Creation

Trade supported 235,900 jobs in New Mexico in 2008, or 21.2% of total jobs, up from 11.2% in 1992.¹
Over one-eighth (13.3%) of all manufacturing workers in New Mexico depended on exports for their jobs.²
In 2008, 18,700 people in New Mexico were employed by U.S. affiliates of companies that are at least 50% foreign-owned.³

Exports and Growth

New Mexico exported $1.3 billion in merchandise to 146 foreign markets in 2009. New Mexico’s largest market in 2009 was Mexico ($385 million), followed by Canada ($247 million), China ($103 million), Germany ($70 million), and Afghanistan ($54 million).⁴
In 2008, 979 companies exported goods from New Mexico. Of these, 85% were small- and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.
Agricultural exports are important to New Mexico’s economy, totaling $385 million.⁵
Since 2007, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $2.84 million in exports from 6 companies in 4 communities in New Mexico.⁶

Education and Research

During the 2008–2009 academic year, 757 New Mexico students studied abroad.⁷
In 2009–2010, 2,898 international students were enrolled in New Mexico colleges and universities, up 10.5% from the previous year, and contributed $57.9 million to the New Mexico economy.⁸

Global Engagement

Since 1961, 1,962 Peace Corps volunteers from New Mexico have served in dozens of countries overseas.⁹

http://businessroundtable.org/uploads/studies-reports/downloads/Trade_and_American_Jobs.pdf
http://www.trade.gov/mas/ian/statereports/
http://www.bea.gov/scb/pdf/2010/11%20November/1110_us_ops.pdf
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