Ambassador Kirk is in Detroit, Michigan today to talk about growing American jobs by increasing American exports. Last night, Ambassador Kirk had dinner with minority business owners from the Detroit community; this morning, he met with Rep. John Dingell (MI-15) and constituents, sat down with editors and writers for the Detroit Free Press, and met with Jeep CEO Mike Manley. At all of these meetings, he talked about the President's new National Export Initiative and how Michiganders can benefit from this Administration-wide jobs effort.
Many Michiganders have jobs supported by exports. Last year, Michigan export-sector workers helped produce $24 billion worth of exports for shipment to Canada, Michigan's top export destination. In total, Canada accounts for 53 percent of all Michigan exports, followed by Mexico, Germany, Japan, and China.
Michigan's leading export category is transportation equipment, which accounted for $21.1 billion in 2008. Other top exports included machinery manufactures, worth $4.2 billion, and chemical manufactures, worth $4 billion - all of them made by Michigan workers, and all helping to sustain and create good-paying jobs in the middle of an economic crisis.
Job-creating export opportunities were not limited to one part of the state, but extended to workers all across Michigan. In the first half of 2008, the metropolitan area of Detroit-Warren-Livonia exported $23 billion in goods, while the metropolitan areas of Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Holland-Grand Haven, Kalamazoo-Portage, Ann Arbor, Lansing-East Lansing and Saginaw-Saginaw Township North all exported hundreds of millions of dollars worth of goods.
For more on Michigan businesses that export, read the current "Weekly Trade Spotlight" here on USTR.gov. Ambassador Kirk will speak about Michigan exports and efforts to increase them in remarks to the Detroit Economic Club today.
Ambassador Kirk meets with Rep. John Dingell (MI-15) and constituents in Detroit on Friday morning.
Ambassador Kirk is greeted in Detroit by Rep. Dingell, Dearborn Mayor Jack O'Reilly, and United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger.
Ambassador Kirk also met today with Mike Manley, President and CEO of Jeep and Chrysler's Lead Executive for International Organization.
