Free Trade Fact of the Day

Conn Carroll / May 16, 2008

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently unveiled TradeRoots.org which “is the only sustained, national trade education program dedicated to raising grassroots support and public awareness about the importance of international trade to local communities.” Their “Facts” page includes:

Exports have been growing two to three times faster than the economy as a whole.

Over one-fifth of the growth in U.S. GDP depended on exports in 2005.

Jobs supported by goods exports pay 13-18% higher than the average wage.

Small businesses represent 97% of all U.S. exporters, and produced 28.6 percent of the known export value in FY 2004

One in three acres of U.S. agricultural production is exported.