Wisconsin companies increased exports by almost 2 percent in December after trending in the opposite direction for much of the year, according to U.S. Census data.
The state exported almost $1.77 billion worth of goods during the month, a roughly $33 million increase over the same period in 2015. For the year, exports were still down by 6.4 percent, to roughly $21 billion.
The decline put Wisconsin 36th in the country for export growth. Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, North Dakota and Rhode Island led the way with just 14 states posting gains in exports. Indiana increased exports by 3 percent, while Michigan was up 2.4 percent. Other Midwestern states posting declines included Ohio, down 3.1 percent, Minnesota, off 3.9, Illinois, down 5.7 and Iowa, down 7.5.
For the year, U.S. exports were down 3.3 percent, to $1.45 trillion.
Still, Wisconsin’s positive finish was an improvement over the first 10 months of the year. BizTimes previously reported the state’s exports were down 7.2 percent through October. At the time, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. officials attributed the decline to a strong dollar and weak oil prices.
In addition to December’s positive showing, the state’s export picture improved in November, with a 4.8 percent decline helping to move the overall year in the right direction.
Imports into Wisconsin were down 4.9 percent through the first 10 months of the year, but they jumped sharply in November and December, with increases of 12.6 percent and 12.4 percent respectively. For the year, Wisconsin ended with $22.5 billion in imports, a 2.2 percent decline from 2015.
