Georgia merchandise exports grew 4 percent in the first half of 2013, reaching a record high for the state, the International Trade Administration announced this month.
New data indicates exports grew from $17.8 billion to $18.5 billion.
“This data confirms that our efforts to help American businesses compete globally are having an impact right here in Georgia,” said Francisco Sánchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.
“The United States is selling more goods and services to the rest of the world than ever before. The International Trade Administration will continue to do everything we can to assist Georgia businesses as they increase their exports and create jobs.”
The news came as no surprise to Curtis Foltz, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority, where exports accounted for roughly 53 percent of the nearly three million containers moved last year.
“This new data shows that our ports play an increasingly important regional role in the economy’s recovery and this nation’s international commerce,” he said
Georgia’s merchandise export sales in the first half of 2013 outpaced the 2012 figures in many top destinations, including: The United Arab Emirates, up 42 percent; the United Kingdom, up 27 percent; Mexico and the Netherlands, each up 14 percent; and Turkey, up 6 percent.
Key merchandise export categories include transportation equipment, machinery, chemicals, paper and food.
“These days, there are so many ways for small companies to start exporting,” said Todd Gerken, director of the South Georgia U.S. Export Assistance Center in Savannah. “Not only can it produce another revenue stream, it can often be a survival tool, as some economies in Europe, Japan and developing countries run countercyclical to ours, creating opportunities when sales at home are slower.”
The Export Assistance Center partners with the Small Business Development Center’s International Trade Center at Kennesaw State University, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the World Trade Center Savannah, Gerken said.
“We each have our own tools and resources, so there is a lot of help and coaching out there for small companies and their busy owners,” he said.
Area companies interested in exporting should contact Gerken at 912-652-4204 or at Todd.Gerken@trade.gov.
Maritime terror attack ‘likely’
A maritime security firm in the Middle East has warned that an attack on shipping interests by al-Qaida or other affiliate terrorist groups is increasingly likely.
“The resurgence of al-Qaida and affiliate organizations is occurring alongside some of the worlds’ most strategically vulnerable and crowded waterways,” said Gerry Northwood, chief operations officer for the firm, Gulf of Aden Group Transits.
“The largely unforeseen consequence of the Arab Spring is that it has given terrorist groups a new lease on life and the means to do real harm to maritime activity in the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal and at other key strategic choke points.”
The growth of sea traffic has made the maritime industry a target-rich environment, Northwood said, adding that it isn’t just the obvious targets such as oil platforms and large cargo ships that are at risk.
“The cruise industry provides al-Qaida with another opportunity to hit targets where the casualty numbers could be in the thousands,” he said. “A terrorist attack targeting any of these key assets could have a huge impact, both physically and mentally, and would be seen by al-Qaida as a ‘headline attack’ that would promote their cause.”
The company is basing its comments not only on the Foreign Office warning to ships transiting through the Gulf of Aden, but on a number of threats coming from Yemen, Egypt and Somalia, he said.
Senior business reporter Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for the Savannah Morning News. She can be reached at 912-652-0324 or at mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.
SHIPPING SCHEDULE
These are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean Terminals in the next week. Sailing schedules are provided by Georgia Ports Authority and are subject to change.
Terminal Ship name Arrival
GPA HS COLON Friday
GPA CHEM LYRA Friday
GPA MAERSK UTAH Friday
GPA IBRAHIM DEDE Saturday
GPA EVER DYNAMIC Saturday
GPA HANJIN KINGSTON Saturday
GPA LUTETIA Saturday
GPA CMA CGM SAMSON Saturday
GPA VANCOUVER EXPRESS Saturday
GPA ST LOUIS EXPRESS Saturday
GPA HS LIVINGSTONE Sunday
GPA MSC ANIELLO Sunday
GPA MSC ASYA Sunday
GPA HALIFAX EXPRESS Sunday
GPA HYUNDAI FORWARD Monday
GPA DUBAI EXPRESS Monday
GPA MAERSK COLUMBUS Monday
GPA APL BELGIUM Monday
GPA ARDMORE SEAVENTURE Monday
GPA AL ABDALI Monday
GPA MERKUR BAY Monday
GPA NYK METEOR Monday
GPA DALLAS EXPRESS Monday
OT CLIPPER MARISSA Monday
OT TONSBERG Tuesday
GPA MOL ENDURANCE Tuesday
GPA ZIM MONACO Tuesday
GPA BUXCLIFF Tuesday
GPA HANJIN ELIZABETH Tuesday
GPA PORTLAND EXPRESS Tuesday
GPA NYK LAURA Tuesday
GPA GUANG DONG BRIDGE Tuesday
OT BBC OREGON Wednesday
GPA MOL PRESTIGE Wednesday
GPA RANJAN Wednesday
GPA SKIATHOS Wednesday
GPA HANJIN PHILADELPHIA Wednesday
GPA CSCL QINGDAO Thursday
GPA ISLANDIA Thursday
GPA CSAV LEBU Thursday
OT BAHRI ABHA Saturday
OT SPLIT Saturday