The Greater Hartford area exported $10.4 billion worth of products last year, a 3 percent gain over 2015, ranking the region 27th nationally, according to data provided Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration office in Middletown.
The region’s export value has grown 49 percent since 2006, or an average of 4.1 percent annually.
“Three percent is nice – any company would like to see 3 percent,” Anne Evans, the commerce agency’s Middletown-based district director, commented on the report.
Despite the dollar being strong overseas and Connecticut products being more expensive, “in light of that, we’ve done incredibly well,” Evans said, noting that Pratt & Whitney’s jet engines are a significant piece of the region’s exports. “The geared turbo fan has opened up a lot of those markets and with our supply chain.”
Greater Hartford exports accounted for almost half of total state exports, with transportation equipment accounting for the lion’s share of exports, at $6.2 billion. Other top categories were nonelectrical machinery, $1.2 billion; electrical equipment, appliances and components, $639 million; fabricated metal products, $554 million; and computer and electronic products, $390 million.
Small and medium-sized goods exporters accounted for 87 percent of the region’s 1,889 exporters.
The top export markets for Greater Hartford products last year were France, $1.9 billion; Germany, $1.5 billion; Canada, $844 million; United Kingdom, $662 milion; and United Arab Emirates, for which no value was released. Other top markets were Qatar, $215 million, and New Zealand, $85 million.
Hartford County led the three-county region with a product export value of $6.8 billion, followed by Middlesex County, $3.5 billion, and Tolland County, $104 million.
“We’ve got to give a pat on the back to all of those companies who have kept pushing and moving into new markets – and they have,” Evans said.
