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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Alaska Exports Rebounded As 2009 Ended

03/16/2010
Alaska exports totaled $3.3 billion in 2009, which represents the state's fifth best trade year.

"Given that Alaskans were competing during a worldwide economic downturn last year, this is a great result," Governor Sean Parnell said in a statement.

First-quarter exports in 2009 were down nearly 30 percent from the first quarter of 2008. But at the end of 2009, fourth-quarter exports were up 12.3 percent from a year earlier.

Overall, Alaska's 2009 exports were 8.1 percent lower than in 2008. Nationally, exports declined 17.9 percent. Forty-six other states posted greater decreases in export value than Alaska.

In terms of specific export products, Alaska's exports of minerals, precious metals and forest products increased, while seafood and energy exports declined.

Alaska's zinc and lead ore exports in 2009 rose to $784.7 million, an increase of 33.5 percent over 2008.

Precious metals exports, primarily gold, grew 6 percent to $152.6 million, with $146.4 million of gold shipped to Switzerland and $5.1 million of gold to Canada.

Coal exports rose 42.8 percent to $33.1 million. Alaska's exports of liquefied natural gas was $256.7 million.

Refined petroleum product exports were $38.4 million, down more than 70 percent as the result of the international economic crisis.

Alaska's 2009 export of forest products grew 5.5 percent to $87.8 million.

Alaska's seafood exports were $1.6 billion in 2009, down 9.8 percent.

The source of the Alaska export numbers is the U.S. Census Bureau, according to the press statement and the numbers do not include Alaska resources transported to and warehoused in other U.S. states before export. A pdf of the export data is available on the state's Web site.

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