Export Montana
2008:
State of Montana Export Summary
Top 5 Export Markets for Montana Products
#1 Canada.....$696.3 million
#2 Japan.........$130.8million
#3 Taiwan........$75.0 million
#4 Korea..........$67.4 million
#5 China............$61.2million
Montana commodity exports increased by 17.9 percent to reach a new record high of $2.06 billion for 2008. This marks the state's fifth consecutive year of export growth and its fourth consecutive year of record sales.
In the agricultural sector, bulk shipments of wheat led all commodity exports with $670 million in sales, an increase of nearly $57 million over 2007. Shipments of prepared cereal, flour, starch and milk witnessed a 67 percent increase to top $24 million, an increase of nearly $9.7 million. Fertilizer exports rose by 215 percent for the year to reach $10.3 million, while shipments of live animals jumped by 27 percent to equal $4.65 million.
Many manufactured products commodity groupings also set records. Shipments of inorganic chemicals increased by 31 percent in 2008, to nearly $345 million for the year, an increase of almost $81 million from the previous year. Minerals and ores essentially doubled to reach $213 million. Organic chemical (petroleum based fuels) exports jumped by 90 percent to reach $45.9 million, while miscellaneous chemical products rose by 66.5 percent to total $40.3 million.
Other commodities experiencing strong increases included optical fibers and medical instruments which rose 25.6 percent to reach $34.4 million. Electric machinery totaled $21.5 million, an increase of nearly 38 percent over 2007. Hand tools witnessed a greater than threefold increase to exceed $3 million.
Several commodity groups posted sales declines for the year. Exports of mineral fuels dropped to $52 million, a decline of a mere 8 percent from 2007 levels. Pharmaceutical product shipments and aircraft exports both witnessed a 34 percent decline to reach $16.6 and $15.4 million, respectively. Finally, copper shipments fell by 77 percent to $2.6 million, a difference of $8.5 million from 2007.
Excluding exports of Montana-origin wheat made in bulk from west coast grain handling facilities, Canada remained as the number one export destination for Montana products with purchases of $696 million, an increase of 18.6 percent over 2007. Japan is the second largest export market with $130.8 million in sales, an increase of 28.5 percent, based largely on increased shipments of inorganic chemicals and machinery. Taiwan is in third place purchasing nearly $75 million of Montana products. Sales to the Republic of Korea increased by 70.5 percent, which kept it as Montana's fourth largest export market with $67 million in shipments. Rounding out the state's top five foreign markets, exports to mainland China rose by 40.6 percent to reach $61 million in export sales.
Other important export markets in rank order include the Netherlands which increased 291 percent with $54 million in exports, largely on the strength of increased sales of ores to that country-making it the state's sixth largest export market. Exports to Mexico and the United Kingdom grew in 2008 with Mexico reaching $36 million and the United Kingdom attaining $34 million leaving them in seventh and eighth position. Singapore and Germany ranked as the ninth and tenth largest export markets for the state with shipments totaling $27 million and $22.9 million, respectively.
In 2008, Montana dispatched 81.9 million bushels of wheat to exporting facilities on the U.S. west coast. According to the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee, the bulk of these shipments are sent to Japan with secondary markets being Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Indonesia. It is important to note that the country export rankings listed above do not include these bulk shipments.
