Detroit Heads List Of Exporters But California’s Silicon Valley Had Biggest Dollar Increase In Overseas Sales Last Year

Silicon Valley posted the nation’s best export record last year, at least in terms of dollar gains.

Rising international demand for computers and other electronic products made San Jose, Calif., the top metropolitan area with an increase of $6.9 billion in foreign sales, up 34.5 percent over 1994, said a Commerce Department study released Wednesday.

The report, which showed how 253 metropolitan areas stacked up in terms of trade, was an effort by the administration to highlight economic benefits of expanded trade at a time when President Clinton’s trade policies are being attacked by GOP challenger Bob Dole.

“One cannot overstate the importance of exports in creating jobs and economic growth and opportunity in our cities,” Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor said. “The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the Clinton administration’s export promotion strategy.”

Dole attacked Clinton’s record last week, noting that the trade deficit has widened every year Clinton has been in office. “Thousands and thousands of American jobs are being given away to foreign countries,” he alleged.

The new Commerce Department report showed export sales for the 253 metropolitan areas totaled $467.66 billion last year, a 12.6 percent increase over 1994’s $415.12 billion. These cities accounted for almost three-fourths of last year’s total U.S. merchandise exports.

Detroit remained the country’s top exporting area in 1995, but its sales of $27.32 billion represented a 0.6 percent drop from its 1994 total.

Detroit was followed by New York, at $27.13 billion, an increase of 15.2 percent from the previous year led by an upswing in sales of primary metals including gold. San Jose, with exports of $26.82 billion, climbed into third place ahead of Los Angeles-Long Beach.

After San Jose, the cities with the largest dollar gains were Chicago, where exports rose by $3.75 billion; New York, up $3.59 billion; and Houston, up $2.86 billion.

In all, 94 metro areas posted export gains of $1 billion or more in 1995, up from 77 in the 1994 survey.

Big dollar gains were concentrated in the nation’s largest cities, but many of the largest percentage increases came from mediumsized cities not usually viewed as export powerhouses.

La Crosse, Wis., had the biggest increase in this category, a 196.8 percent jump that pushed exports in that city to $276.2 million. Other top percentage gains were turned in by Sherman-Denison, Texas, up 151 percent, and South Bend, Ind., up 142.9 percent

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This sidebar appeared with the story: LEADING EXPORTERS Here are the leading metropolitan areas in terms of export sales in 1995 and their percent change from the year before: 1.) Detroit, $27.3 billion, -0.6 percent. 2.) New York, $27.1 billion, 15.2 percent. 3.) San Jose, $26.8 billion, 34.5 percent. 4.) Los Angeles, $24.7 billion, 11.3 percent. 5.) Chicago, $21.1 billion, 21.6 percent. 6.) Seattle, $17.8 billion, -18.1 percent. 10.) Portland, Ore., $8.9 billion, 38.5 percent.

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