Exports Counter US Economic Downturns – Important in Today’s Economy
The US Dollar has fallen 37% against the Euro, 20% against the Canadian Dollar, down significantly against the Japanese Yen and most other world currencies over the past 4 years, making US products far more affordable and more competitive against foreign rivals - Great Time to Export!
Companies that export are 40% more profitable than those that don't. (source: Kipplinger Newsletter)
Export-Related Jobs Earn 17% more than Non-Export-Related Jobs (source: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago)
'1 in 5 US jobs depends on foreign trade', President George W. Bush, State of the Union, 1-31-06
New Trade Deals for the United States. In addition to the current trade agreements between the US and Chile, Singapore, Jordan, Israel and the NAFTA markets of Canada and Mexico, the new trade agreements stated below are designed to fuel America's strengthening export competitiveness.

Australia	The US and Australia reached a free trade agreement in February, 2004, which must be ratified by the US Congress and the Australian Cabinet. The agreement will effectively remove 5% tariffs on US manufactured goods headed to Australia.
Central America	The US concluded a free trade deal with 5 nations in Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. This trade deal, yet to be ratified by Congress, was concluded in anticipation of the much wider and far more economically impacting Free Trade Area of the Americas, a 34-nation agreement between the democratically elected governments of South, Central and North America.
Morocco	The third trade deal for the US reached this year, Morocco's tariffs on US goods will be phased out during the next 15 years, and is what some in the Bush Administration suggest to be a prelude to a wider free trade agreement with the entire Middle East and North Africa.
Colombia	The US and Colombia singed a trade deal in February 2006, the largest trade deal between the US and any Latin American country since the free trade treaty with Mexico in 1993. Bilateral trade between both nations reached $14.5 billion in 2005.
Peru	Peruvian President-Elect Alan Garcia pledged greater trade ties with the US, boosting ongoing efforts to establish a free trade agreement with this South American country.
S. Korea	The US and South Korea started the first round of negotiations in June 2006, for a bilateral free trade agreement.

NEXT UP - Free Trade Area of the Americas: North, Central and South America Free Trade Zone - Representatives of all 34 democratically elected governments are working toward agreement on a free trade zone economically linking all American continents with freer trade by 2007. Resistance from Brazil, Venezuela and now Bolivia is countered by Peru's decision to elect pro-US trade presidential canditate Alan Garcia in June 2006, reinvigerating this effort.
Indiana ranks 11th in the nation in exports with a record $21.5 billion in foreign sales, translating into a 12% growth over the prior year, well above the national average for export growth. Contact FTI to learn more about your industry's top export destinations and how we can help your company increase your exports.