For the 10th consecutive year, the state of South Carolina set a record for total export sales in 2019.
The state’s 2019 export sales totaled $41.5 billion, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The figure represents a 19.7 percent increase over the 2018 total.
“South Carolina companies continue to produce top-quality products, and the world has taken notice,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. “Moving forward, we will continue to prioritize the growth of our international trade footprint and will encourage companies of all sizes to expand their reach into new markets overseas.”
“S.C. Ports container volume has doubled over the past decade, in large part because South Carolina has become a manufacturing powerhouse,” S.C. Ports Authority President and CEO Jim Newsome said. “Many S.C. businesses, including global manufacturers, depend on S.C. Ports to move goods to global markets, further driving exports through the Port of Charleston. We have seen record year-over-year growth and we are making investments to remain globally competitive. In 2021, Charleston Harbor will be the deepest on the East Coast at 52 feet, and the country’s newest container terminal, the Hugh K. Leatherman Sr. Terminal, will begin operations. These major infrastructure projects will further support our state’s exporters and ensure economic success.”
To continue growing the state’s export activity and to assist firms of all sizes that seek to get involved in international trade, S.C. Commerce offers the South Carolina Export Incentives Program. The initiative reimburses small and medium-sized business participation in S.C. Commerce trade missions, major trade exhibitions and international matchmaking. It also finances export training and other export-related initiativesby S.C. Commerce.
For more information ontheSouth Carolina Export Incentives Program, including how eligible firms can participate, visit bit.ly/scexporting.
To access a full report detailing last year’s trade results, click here.