A Little Economic Sunshine
We've all heard that Oregon's economic revival has been motoring on at a fairly good clip. It is time to give you some statistics on how international trade proceeded during the first six months of 2004.

Oregon's exports through June were $5.6 billion, up 9.75 percent over the same period in 2003, ranking Oregon 23rd nationally. It represents the highest level that the state has hit at mid-year since our record year in 2000 ($5.75 billion through June and $11.4 billion for the year). Though Oregon's percentage growth lags the national average (13.6 percent), some of the state's leading sectors are on a record setting pace. Grain, paper & paperboard, iron & steel and non-railway vehicles (NRV, i.e., trucks), are all ahead of their highest six month figures on record. In fact, grain and NRV are $118 million and $90 million, respectively, higher than their previous six month highs. Just as encouraging, Oregon has experienced a broad-based rally in exports to China and a resurgence in trade with Mexico.

Here are the basics:

Top Ten Export Markets
Canada	UP	17.3%
Japan	UP	5.9%
Korea	down	19%
China	UP	68.9%
Taiwan	UP	11.5%
Malaysia	UP	2.75%
Philippines	down	28.5%
Mexico	UP	62.1%
Germany	down	2.4%
Australia	UP	28.3%