Idaho Exports Rake In Billions In 2012

Courtesy Empire Airlines

Employees at the Hayden, Idaho based Empire Airlines work inside a plane.

Idaho exports continue to increase. Data from the Idaho Department of Commerce show exports from the Gem State grew 3.5 percent from 2011 to 2012.

Driving the export growth last year were food and agriculture products, transportation equipment, and office and home furnishings. More than $6.1 billion worth of Idaho exports headed to other countries last year. Canada led the way purchasing more than $1.3 billion in Idaho products.

Export growth from 2010 to 2011 was 14 percent, totaling $5.89 billion worth of goods.

Commerce Department director Jeff Sayer wrote in a press release, “We believe this increase is largely due to Idaho companies openly embracing the exploration of new markets to expand their business.”

Top Idaho export sectors for 2012 included: semiconductors, industrial equipment, precious and semi-precious metals, agricultural commodities and processed food, fertilizers, paper and forest products, and personal care products.

Global sales of civilian aircraft and related parts jumped over 2,000 percent from 2011 totals to almost $531.7 million due to significant fourth-quarter sales.  Other categories that saw increases include: furniture and bedding (up 42.32 percent); railway (up 84.68 percent); military apparel and equipment (up 1,333.78 percent); and aluminum (up 122.03 percent).

Canada, Singapore, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Malaysia, France, and Australia top the list of export markets for Idaho goods in 2012. – Idaho Department of Commerce

Semiconductors and industrial equipment still top the list of Idaho exports, shipping $3.1 billion worth of goods in 2012. But that’s actually a 3.7 percent decline from 2011.

The sector that saw the largest percentage growth last year was transportation equipment. That includes aircraft parts, and civilian and military aircraft. Exports there grew a whopping 450 percent from 2011 to 2012. Department of Commerce spokesperson Megan Ronk says the aviation sector is an emerging one in Idaho, and that “we are closely working with to expand.”

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