Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced today that in 2012, West Virginia exports reached a record level for the third consecutive year. Figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce show the state’s exports grew from $9 billion in 2011 to $11.3 billion in 2012. West Virginia companies exported to 136 countries during the year.
“During 2012, West Virginia’s exports grew by 25 percent, surpassing the national growth rate of 4.46 percent,” said Gov. Tomblin. “Exporting is a valuable contributor to our state’s economic growth and diversity. While coal continues to be a traditional strength, the state’s top exports also include manufactured products such as plastics, chemicals, machinery and components for medical, automotive and aerospace applications.”
Coal exports grew 40 percent, increasing from $5.3 billion in 2011 to $7.4 billion in 2012. West Virginia coal accounted for 49 percent of U.S. coal exports in 2012.
The top markets for West Virginia coal with the largest growth were Japan (growing from $29 million in 2011 to $395 million in 2012) and China (growing from $93 million in 2011 to $567 million in 2012).
Plastics, the state’s second largest product sector, reached the $1 billion level for the second year in a row. Products from manufacturing sectors grew from $3.50 billion to a record $3.67 billion. Other top-ranking products include machinery, chemicals, aerospace components, medical devices/products, automotive components, aluminum, wood products, electrical machinery and rubber products.
