Georgia’s Tech Exports Rise $89 Million in 2007
Georgia Ranks in Top 10 in Four of Eight Tech Export Sectors

Alpharetta, GA (September 23, 2008) – AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, today released its annual report detailing national and state trends in the international trade of high-tech goods. The report, Trade in the Cyberstates 2008: A State-by-State Overview of High-Tech International Trade, covers all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

High-tech exports in Georgia increased $89 million, or three percent, from 2006 to 2007, for a tech industry total of $3.1 billion. The state saw an overall increase in high-tech exports of $557 million, or 22 percent, between 2001 and 2007. Computers and peripheral equipment made up a large portion of the states exports, $678 million. Canada was the largest recipient of Georgia’s high-tech exports, followed by the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.

"In a year when many states saw their technology exports decline, Georgia’s grew," said Kathe Falls, Director of International Trade at the Georgia Department of Economic Development. "We rank highly in four different high tech sectors. For the technology industry, Georgia’s major trading partners are NAFTA and Western Europe. This growth in exports is expected to continue given the fall of the dollar internationally, and increased exports translate directly to job creation and retention.”

”On average, for every $1 billion in exports 15,000 jobs are created or retained,” British Consul-General Martin Rickerd added. "The growth in high-tech trade is an exciting chapter in the long history of trade between the United Kingdom and Georgia. It's good for business on both sides of the Atlantic."

Nationally, Trade in the Cyberstates 2008 shows that U.S. high-tech goods exports decreased by three percent in 2007, totaling $214 billion, representing 18 percent of all U.S. exports to the world. High-tech imports totaled $333 billion in 2007, up by three percent, resulting in a high-tech trade deficit of $118 billion. High-tech exports supported 894,600 jobs in the United States.

Trade in the Cyberstates 2008 provides a comprehensive review of international trade of high-tech goods at the national and state-by-state level. The report provides overview pages for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These "snapshot" pages highlight historical high-tech export trends, exports by individual tech sector, and leading export destinations.

This report is a partner publication to AeA's other two annual cyber publications, Cyberstates and Cybercities, which provide data on high-tech jobs, wages, payroll, and other factors at the state and metropolitan levels.

AeA members can purchase each of these reports for $125; non-members for $250. Visit www.aeanet.org/research to purchase the reports.

What Does High-Tech Trade Mean for Georgia?

• $3.1 billion in high-tech exports (19th ranked cyberstate)
   
• Up $89 million in tech exports between 2006 and 2007
   
• 13 percent of exports from Georgia are tech exports (27th ranked cyberstate)
   
• 13,100 jobs in Georgia are supported by tech exports
   

Georgia’s Leading Tech Export Destinations:

• $588 million in tech exports to Canada
   
• $398 million in tech exports to the Netherlands
   
• $247 million in tech exports to the United Kingdom

Georgia’s Leading Tech Export Sectors:

• 4th in photonics exports at $349 million
   
• 10th in communications equipment exports at $602 million
   
• 10th in electronic components exports at $430 million

Source: Trade in the Cyberstates 2008

Data are for 2007.

Published by AeA, Advancing the Business of Technology (www.aeanet.org)

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About AeA

AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, is dedicated solely to helping our members’ top line and bottom line. We do this in partnership with our small, medium, and large member companies by lobbying governments at the state, federal, and international levels, providing access to capital and business opportunities, and offering select business services and networking programs. For more information, please visit http://www.aeanet.org.

This page was last updated on 09/16/08.  
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