Puerto Rico’s Tech Exports Climb by $154 Million in 2006
Puerto Rico Exports $2.9 Billion, $1.6 Billion of Computers and Peripheral Equipment Alone

Orlando, FL (July 17, 2007) – AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association with 2,500 member companies representing all segments of the high-tech industry, today released a special trade report detailing national and state trends in the international trade of high-tech goods. The report, Trade in the Cyberstates 2007: A State-by-State Overview of High-Tech International Trade, covers all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

High-tech goods exports from Puerto Rico totaled $2.9 billion in 2006, climbing $154 million since 2005. Over half of all tech exports and over a tenth of all exports from Puerto Rico were in the computers and peripheral equipment sector alone.

“The excellent atmosphere Puerto Rico provides for businesses has made it a prime location for high-tech companies to manufacture their products,” said Maryann Fiala, Executive Director of AeA’s Florida Council which includes Puerto Rico. “Almost 20 percent of all Puerto Rican exports are from the technology industry, and because of this Puerto Rico has $2.9 billion bolstering its economy and supplying its citizens with jobs.”

Nationally, Trade in the Cyberstates 2007 shows that international trade of high-tech goods continues to rise. High-tech goods exports grew by 10 percent for a total of $220 billion in 2006, representing 21 percent of all U.S. exports to the world. High-tech imports totaled $322 billion in 2006, up by 9 percent, resulting in a tech trade deficit of $102 billion. Nationwide, tech exports directly supported 683,900 jobs in the United States.

Trade in the Cyberstates 2007 provides a comprehensive review of international trade of high-tech goods at the national and state-by-state level. The report provides 52 state overview pages highlighting high-tech exports with detailed data on historical export trends, exports by individual tech sector, and leading export destinations by country.

This report is a partner publication to AeA's annual flagship publication, Cyberstates, which provides national and state-by-state data on high-tech jobs, wages, payroll, and other factors. In the past, the high-tech trade data was included in the Cyberstates report. This new report provides a tremendous amount of detailed data that was not previously published. Like Cyberstates, Trade in the Cyberstates uses official government statistics and is not survey data.

AeA members can purchase Trade in the Cyberstates 2007 for $125; non-members for $250. Visit www.aeanet.org/trade to download the report, or call 408.987.4200.

What Does High-Tech Trade Mean for Puerto Rico?

• $2.9 billion in high-tech exports (20th ranked cyberstate)
   
• Up $154 million in tech exports between 2005 and 2006
   
• 19 percent of exports from Puerto Rico are tech exports (ranked 18th)

Puerto Rico’s Leading Tech Export Destinations:

• $579 million in tech exports to Singapore
   
• $457 million in tech exports to Germany
   
• $438 million in tech exports to the United Kingdom

Puerto Rico’s Leading Tech Export Sectors:

• 7th in computers and peripheral equipment exports at $1.6 billion
   
• 8th in electronic components exports at $398 million
   
• 9th in electromedical equipment exports at $530 million

Source: Trade in the Cyberstates 2007

Data are for 2006.

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

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This page was last updated on 07/16/07.  
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