Pop quiz: What was the biggest import into South Florida in 2009, a tough year when trade shrunk? Hint: It’s not cut flowers, fresh fish or even jets, long key products brought into greater Miami. Gold emerged as the No. 1 import last year, as many people nervous about weak real estate and stock markets turned to gold for security, WorldCity’s latest Miami Trade Numbers report has found. WorldCity President Ken Roberts shared the report and led talks on the outlook for South Florida trade at the June 16 meeting… Read More
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Earthquake-struck Haiti a growing U.S. source of apparel
Haiti, struck by a powerful earthquake near the capital of Port-au-Prince, has been seeing an increase in the finished apparel it exports to the United States, according to WorldCity analysis of Census data released Tuesday (Jan. 12).
U.S. imports of T-shirts and sweaters have both increased through the first 11 months of 2009, with almost all of those imports entering the Miami Customs district. Overall, South Florida handles just shy of two-thirds of Haiti’s total U.S. trade.
While Haiti is the United State’s 89th-ranked trade partner and trade is down slightly, at 4.11 percent, the hemisphere’s poorest nation is more imports to Miami. It is South Florida’s 26th-ranked trade partner and import-export trade is up 5.96 percent.
Most of the increase is on the import side, led by gains in finished apparel. Imports into Miami have increased 22.84 percent, which is reflected in the U.S. total, which show an increase of 22.08 percent. Exports to South Florida have fallen 14.09 percent in the first 11 months of 2009, 16.46 percent with the United States.
Of the $503.43 million in Haitian imports into the United States in 2009, $194.5 million was T-shirts imported into Miami and $165.05 million was sweaters imported into Miami.
The single-largest export from the United States and from Miami is charitable donations. Of the $730.24 million in U.S. exports, $161.86 million fall under that category, with $54.05 million from Miami.
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