state of south carolina - South Carolina Department of Commerce

Program Type
Number of
Attendees
Number of
Graduates
Program Rating
South Carolina Rural Summit 178 N/A 4.6 (5 pt. scale)
South Carolina Economic
Development Institute
72 51 3.8 (4 pt. scale)
Economic Developer’s
Workshop
South Carolina Economic
Developers’ Advanced
Symposium
29 N/A 4.10 (5 pt. scale)
18 12 3.8 (4.0 scale)
7.3 INTERNATIONAL TRADE, SMALL BUSINESS, AND EXISTING BUSINESS
Export Development
Globalization plays a critical role in the future of successful businesses. Companies
engaged in international business are more stable, achieve higher growth rates, and
pay higher wages. Exports are vital to the state’s economic health as well. The
benefits of exporting extend beyond the obvious advantage of profit earnings, helping
diversify a company’s markets and helping them gain a competitive edge through
global exposure to new technology, new ideas and competition. In fact, South
Carolina was the 17th largest exporter among the 50 states in 2011 and 9 th in exports
per capita.
In 2011, South Carolina companies exported $24.7 billion worth of products to 198
countries. The state’s largest export destination last year was Canada, which received
exports of just under $4.0 billion. This was nearly 16% of South Carolina’s total
2010 exports.
South Carolina Department of Commerce 32
2011-2012 Accountability Report