Philly exports climb 5.6 percent
Philadelphia exports rose 5.6 percent to a record $26.3 billion last year, the U.S. Commerce Department said Thursday. The Philadelphia metro area ranked 11th among U.S. metropolitan areas in 2014, with key exports being chemicals, computer and electronic products, transportation equipment, petroleum and coal products, and machinery.
Philadelphia exports rose 5.6 percent to a record $26.3 billion last year, the U.S. Commerce Department said Thursday.
The Philadelphia metro area ranked 11th among U.S. metropolitan areas in 2014, with key exports being chemicals, computer and electronic products, transportation equipment, petroleum and coal products, and machinery.
The federal agency said that 42.6 percent of exports went to markets where the United States has trade agreements. Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the Netherlands were the leading destinations.
Exports traveled by ships, trucks, railroad, and air. The region included Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties; Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester Counties in New Jersey, Newcastle County, Del., and Cecil County, Md.
"More and more U.S. businesses understand that 96 percent of their potential customers live outside the United States, and that selling their world-class goods in the global marketplace is critical to their bottom line," U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said.
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