Below are highlights from the recently released trade data from the US Census Bureau and US Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Share of Goods through US Ports
18.0%
CA Share of Total Trade
Through US Ports
The share of total US goods trade (exports and imports) through California ports edged up to 18.02% (12 month moving average; compared to 17.94% in November 2020 and 17.54% in December 2019).
California remained the #1 state, ahead of Texas with 16.92% (compared to 17.01% in November 2020 and 17.88% in December 2019). Trade through the Atlantic port states was at 30.62% (compared to 30.65% in November 2020 and 29.87% in December 2019). The state’s continued lead in this area forms the trade-related base for one of California’s largest centers of middle-class, blue-collar jobs. Transportation & Warehousing alone provided 684,200 jobs in December (little changed from 684,100 in December 2019), paying an average annual salary of $61.6k. This employment base in turn supports additional blue-collar and white-collar jobs in a range of other industries.
California Goods Exports Up Slightly
$0.0
Billion Change in Exports
Total California goods exports were largely unchanged with a gain of $24 million from December 2019 (up 0.2%), as the trend towards recovery in this indicator finally turned positive. Total state exports in the period February through November were down a total of $17.6 billion (off 12%) compared to the same period in 2019. In December, California remained in 2nd place with 10.91% of all US goods exports (12 month moving total), behind Texas at 19.51%.
California's Balance for Goods Trade
-$22.4
Billion of Goods Trade
California’s balance of goods trade activity through state businesses broadened to -$22.4 billion, compared to a level of -$19.2 billion in December 2019. California trade accounted for 27% of the US trade deficit in goods in December 2020.
Top 20 Exports, December 2020
Top 20 exports by value are shown below, along with the change from December 2019.
| Commodity |
Dec 2020 Exports ($b.) |
Change from Dec 2019 |
| Semiconductors & Other Electronic Components |
$1.1 |
10.2% |
| Fruits & Tree Nuts |
1.0 |
6.8% |
| Industrial Machinery |
1.0 |
39.5% |
| Navigational/measuring/medical/control Instrument |
0.9 |
-0.5% |
| Computer Equipment |
0.8 |
6.3% |
| Pharmaceuticals & Medicines |
0.7 |
31.1% |
| Communications Equipment |
0.6 |
-9.0% |
| Miscellaneous Manufactured Commodities |
0.6 |
3.9% |
| Aerospace Products & Parts |
0.5 |
-58.0% |
| Medical Equipment & Supplies |
0.4 |
0.2% |
| Waste & Scrap |
0.4 |
36.9% |
| Electrical Equipment & Components, Nesoi |
0.3 |
-11.7% |
| Basic Chemicals |
0.3 |
19.2% |
| Other General Purpose Machinery |
0.2 |
-17.8% |
| Motor Vehicles |
0.2 |
44.0% |
| Foods, Nesoi |
0.2 |
16.2% |
| Commercial & Service Industry Machinery |
0.2 |
-22.7% |
| Used or Second-hand Merchandise |
0.2 |
-16.7% |
| Motor Vehicle Parts |
0.2 |
35.4% |
| Nonferrous (exc Alum) & Processing |
0.2 |
115.0% |
|
|
|
Top 10 Export Markets, December 2020
| Country |
Dec 2020 Exports ($b) |
Change from Dec 2019 |
| Mexico |
$2.1 |
11.7% |
| China |
1.6 |
20.0% |
| Canada |
1.5 |
6.9% |
| Korea, South |
0.9 |
-7.5% |
| Japan |
0.8 |
-9.3% |
| Germany |
0.7 |
34.3% |
| Taiwan |
0.7 |
3.8% |
| Hong Kong |
0.6 |
1.1% |
| Netherlands |
0.5 |
17.1% |
| India |
0.5 |
19.8% |
|
|
|
