Wisconsin’s exports increased 5.3 percent in the first five months of the year, but the gain trails the United States as a whole, which saw a nearly 10 percent increase in exports compared to the same period last year.
The Badger State also saw a 10.1 percent increase in imports during the same time period, outpacing a 9 percent increase for the country as a whole, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Increased shipments to the United Kingdom, Germany and South Korea helped drive the uptick in Wisconsin’s exports. South Korean shipments increased nearly 33 percent, the U.K. increased 25 percent and Germany was up 19 percent.
The state’s top export destinations saw smaller increases with Canada up 6 percent, Mexico up nearly 4 percent and China up more than 8 percent.
One of the largest decreases was in shipments to Saudi Arabia, which dropped 81 percent to $71.6 million after spiking in the first half of 2017.
The increase in imports included a 73 percent increase in the value of imported aluminum to $123.6 million. Iron and steel imports also saw an 11 percent increase to $110.3 million
Steel and aluminum prices saw increases this spring as President Donald Trump considered new tariffs that went into effect in June. Wisconsin, however, also saw an increase in the total weight of both products as the threat of tariffs loomed.
Read more economic data reports at the BizTracker page.
