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 | $1.1 | 10.2% |
| Fruits & Tree Nuts | 1.0 | 6.8% |
| Industrial Machinery | 1.0 | 39.5% |
| Navigational/measuring/medical/control Instrument | 0.9 | -0.5% |
| Computer Equipment | 0.8 | 6.3% |
| Pharmaceuticals & Medicines | 0.7 | 31.1% |
| Communications Equipment | 0.6 | -9.0% |
| Miscellaneous Manufactured Commodities | 0.6 | 3.9% |
| Aerospace Products & Parts | 0.5 | -58.0% |
| Medical Equipment & Supplies | 0.4 | 0.2% |
| Waste & Scrap | 0.4 | 36.9% |
| Electrical Equipment & Components, Nesoi | 0.3 | -11.7% |
| Basic Chemicals | 0.3 | 19.2% |
| Other General Purpose Machinery | 0.2 | -17.8% |
| Motor Vehicles | 0.2 | 44.0% |
| Foods, Nesoi | 0.2 | 16.2% |
| Commercial & Service Industry Machinery | 0.2 | -22.7% |
| Used or Second-hand Merchandise | 0.2 | -16.7% |
| Motor Vehicle Parts | 0.2 | 35.4% |
| Nonferrous (exc Alum) & Processing | 0.2 | 115.0% |
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Top 10 Export Markets, December 2020
| Country | Dec 2020 Exports ($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% |
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