According to a (Cleveland) Plain Dealer story Sunday, April 25, Ohio exports fell to $34.1 billion in 2009, down 25 percent from $45.6 billion in 2008.
The International Trade Administration, which tracks the value of exports by states and cities, does not have 2009 export value numbers for individual metropolitan markets, a spokesman for the administration said Monday.
But the latest number from the administration shows an export value of $4.5 billion for the Dayton area in 2008.
That’s up from $4.3 billion in 2007 and $4.2 billion in 2006 for Dayton, according to International Trade Administration data.
Dayton’s 2008 numbers are higher than those for Akron (just over $4 billion) and Columbus ($3.9 billion), but below those of Cleveland ($9.7 billion) and Cincinnati-Middletown ($17.5 billion).
David Swenson, vice president of business initiatives for Kettering’s Edison Materials Technology Center, said the 46 Dayton-area companies that EMTEC assisted in 2009 saw their total exports rise in value $14 million over 2008. EMTEC helps companies commercialize materials-related technologies or research.
While Swenson couldn’t give total export numbers for the 46 firms or individual numbers, he said the data for the first quarter of 2010 is showing slight growth.
“We are a bit encouraged,” Swenson said.
He cautioned that different business sectors will report a different experience with exports. He said the technology companies with which EMTEC works find themselves in sectors that lead rather than lag.
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