Statistics
Los Angeles rips up the trade record book
February 13th, 2007
Los Angeles’ trade with the world topped $300 billion in 2006, its imports topped $238 billion and its deficit almost topped $150 billion, according to a WorldCity analysis of U.S. Census data released today.
All are new records in U.S. import-export history.
And there’s more: For the first time, one nation China imported more than $100 billion into one Customs district. China’s imports with the top-ranked Los Angeles Customs, which is led by the seaports in Los Angeles and Long Beach as well as Los Angeles International Airport, finished the year at $102 billion, or 43 percent of all imports.
Los Angeles has been the nation’s No. 1 ranked Customs district for more than a decade, the lone except being 2001, when, ironically enough, New York held the distinction. New York is currently No. 2, followed by Detroit and Houston.
“Anyone who doesn’t believe international trade creates jobs and wealth only need to go to the seaports in Los Angeles or Long Beach or see the growth coming to Ontario,” said Ken Roberts, president of Miami-based WorldCity, a media company focused on the impact of globalization on local communities.
“I was there last week, after having been to New Orleans the week before that, Savannah the week before and Atlanta the week before that. How is it that manufacturing jobs can shift off-shore while the unemployment rate stays at historically low levels? International trade.”
| 2006 Rank | 2005 Rank | Total Trade | 2006 | 2005 | 1-Yr $ Ch | 1 Yr % ch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Total | $329,422,995,915 | $293,946,624,166 | $35,476,371,749 | 12.07% | ||
| 1 | 1 | China | $118,614,876,703 | $102,075,905,475 | $16,538,971,228 | 16.20% |
| 2 | 2 | Japan | $50,682,923,627 | $46,425,556,655 | $4,257,366,972 | 9.17% |
| 3 | 3 | South Korea | $20,729,812,173 | $17,944,253,259 | $2,785,558,914 | 15.52% |
| 4 | 4 | Taiwan | $16,701,244,435 | $15,120,272,068 | $1,580,972,367 | 10.46% |
| 5 | 6 | Germany | $9,660,199,606 | $9,013,298,521 | $646,901,085 | 7.18% |
| 6 | 5 | Malaysia | $9,650,956,032 | $9,587,457,067 | $63,498,965 | 0.66% |
| 7 | 7 | Thailand | $9,002,540,244 | $7,984,938,758 | $1,017,601,486 | 12.74% |
| 8 | 9 | Singapore | $8,232,066,527 | $7,175,329,202 | $1,056,737,325 | 14.73% |
| 9 | 8 | Australia | $7,919,363,449 | $7,623,878,805 | $295,484,644 | 3.88% |
| 10 | 10 | Hong Kong | $6,917,232,939 | $6,539,496,608 | $377,736,331 | 5.78% |
| 11 | 11 | United Kingdom | $5,448,938,749 | $5,560,296,450 | $(111,357,701) | -2.00% |
| 12 | 12 | Indonesia | $4,985,944,258 | $4,775,225,744 | $210,718,514 | 4.41% |
| 13 | 13 | Philippines | $4,563,274,115 | $4,346,382,370 | $216,891,745 | 4.99% |
| 14 | 14 | India | $3,709,167,796 | $3,484,585,530 | $224,582,266 | 6.45% |
| 15 | 15 | Vietnam | $3,444,169,952 | $2,716,273,302 | $727,896,650 | 26.80% |
| 16 | 16 | Mexico | $3,235,789,249 | $2,695,989,901 | $539,799,348 | 20.02% |
| 17 | 19 | Netherlands | $2,958,178,385 | $2,458,648,696 | $499,529,689 | 20.32% |
| 18 | 21 | Ecuador | $2,896,276,688 | $2,153,677,401 | $742,599,287 | 34.48% |
| 19 | 27 | Iraq | $2,839,456,572 | $1,364,048,695 | $1,475,407,877 | 108.16% |
| 20 | 17 | Italy | $2,660,993,192 | $2,599,739,736 | $61,253,456 | 2.36% |
| 21 | 20 | France | $2,477,778,706 | $2,415,367,152 | $62,411,554 | 2.58% |
| 22 | 18 | Saudi Arabia | $2,447,889,373 | $2,492,765,966 | $(44,876,593) | -1.80% |
| 23 | 23 | Brazil | $2,428,788,490 | $1,937,812,509 | $490,975,981 | 25.34% |
| 24 | 22 | Belgium | $2,016,898,442 | $2,091,009,601 | $(74,111,159) | -3.54% |
| 25 | 28 | Canada | $1,686,710,353 | $1,330,524,149 | $356,186,204 | 26.77% |
| 26 | 24 | New Zealand | $1,657,276,744 | $1,846,089,596 | $(188,812,852) | -10.23% |
| 27 | 25 | Israel | $1,616,745,121 | $1,613,291,079 | $3,454,042 | 0.21% |
| 28 | 26 | Sweden | $1,167,319,408 | $1,435,004,986 | $(267,685,578) | -18.65% |
| 29 | 29 | Switzerland | $1,149,047,671 | $1,037,656,336 | $111,391,335 | 10.73% |
| 30 | 32 | Bangladesh | $1,109,520,481 | $855,296,743 | $254,223,738 | 29.72% |
| 31 | 33 | Cambodia | $1,015,336,623 | $760,121,819 | $255,214,804 | 33.58% |
| 32 | 30 | Chile | $966,472,209 | $923,524,818 | $42,947,391 | 4.65% |
| 33 | 31 | Ireland | $849,171,744 | $882,000,766 | $(32,829,022) | -3.72% |
| 34 | 34 | Spain | $772,329,944 | $710,984,072 | $61,345,872 | 8.63% |
| 35 | 35 | Pakistan | $709,357,184 | $699,440,740 | $9,916,444 | 1.42% |
| 36 | 36 | Guatemala | $668,697,936 | $634,827,682 | $33,870,254 | 5.34% |
| 37 | 42 | Peru | $652,198,839 | $468,784,383 | $183,414,456 | 39.13% |
| 38 | 41 | Russia | $626,096,096 | $494,145,388 | $131,950,708 | 26.70% |
| 39 | 45 | Austria | $596,637,641 | $413,703,706 | $182,933,935 | 44.22% |
| 40 | 43 | South Africa | $569,174,215 | $427,462,224 | $141,711,991 | 33.15% |
| 41 | 38 | United Arab Emirates | $557,890,787 | $551,077,193 | $6,813,594 | 1.24% |
| 42 | 37 | Turkey | $532,989,404 | $557,827,671 | $(24,838,267) | -4.45% |
| 43 | 39 | Angola | $467,633,952 | $507,429,627 | $(39,795,675) | -7.84% |
| 44 | 46 | Macao | $463,105,820 | $396,284,482 | $66,821,338 | 16.86% |
| 45 | 40 | Argentina | $413,520,039 | $505,837,350 | $(92,317,311) | -18.25% |
| 46 | 44 | Sri Lanka | $411,324,182 | $426,710,143 | $(15,385,961) | -3.61% |
| 47 | 47 | Costa Rica | $384,955,762 | $310,762,431 | $74,193,331 | 23.87% |
| 48 | 51 | Colombia | $384,638,210 | $263,699,309 | $120,938,901 | 45.86% |
| 49 | 48 | Venezuela | $327,352,204 | $302,311,698 | $25,040,506 | 8.28% |
| 50 | 50 | Denmark | $279,419,165 | $287,658,546 | $(8,239,381) | -2.86% |
Total trade ended the year at $329 billion, imports at $239 billion and the deficit at $149 billion. Despite that record-breaking deficit, Los Angeles had a trade surplus with 111 nations and a deficit with 113.
U.S. trade narrowly missed the $3 trillion mark for the year, ending at $2.9 trillion. Exports for the first time ever surpassed $100 billion.
2nd annual L.A. TradeNumbers released (05/30/2007)
LA trade up at twice the national average (04/23/2007)
Los Angeles rips up the trade record book (02/13/2007)
$300 billion record set; next is new milestone with imports (02/01/2007)
Los Angeles poised to set U.S. trade record (12/11/2006)
LA trade continues march toward $300 billion (11/13/2006)
Deficit yes, but there is more balance, when viewed by nations (11/01/2006)
Six-month report: LA up 12 percent, slower than national average (08/30/2006)
A trifecta: Passing Japan, China is top destination for LA exports, in addition to imports and total trade (07/28/2006)
The nation's most important trade district continues its romance with fast growing Asia (03/15/2006)
LA trade growth at 11%
China, India, Ecuador are best performers (01/01/2006)