FACT SHEET: Unlocking Economic Opportunity for Ohio Through Trade

President Obama’s trade agenda will unlock opportunity for Ohio workers, farmers and ranchers, and businesses – strengthening the American middle class

In 2013, Ohio exported a record-breaking $50.5 billion of Made-in-America goods to the world – supporting 259,000 jobs. Ohio is the sixth-largest exporter of soybeans in the United States.  In 2012, Ohio exported $1.7 billion worth of soybeans – 7% of all U.S. soybean exports.  Trade is a key driver of Ohio’s economy, and President Obama’s two highest trade priorities, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP), will give Ohio and the United States enhanced access to four out of Ohio’s largest five export markets – Canada, Mexico, France, and the United Kingdom.  What’s more, TPP and T-TIP will include Ohio’s top 4 sources of foreign investment: Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada (as of 2011, the latest year available).

Exports Support Jobs in Ohio and Across the United States

• 259,000 jobs were supported by Ohio exports in 2013.
• In 2011 (latest year available), over one-fourth (27.6 %) of all manufacturing workers in Ohio depended on exports for their jobs.
• In 2013, Ohio goods exports were $50.8 billion, an increase of 70%, or $21.0 billion, from its export level in 2003.
• Total exports from Ohio helped contribute to the record-setting value of U.S. goods and services exports in 2013, which reached $2.3 trillion.
• Nationally, jobs supported by exports reached more than 11 million in 2013, up 1.6 million since 2009.
• Every billion dollars of U.S. exports of goods supported an estimated 5,400 jobs in 2013.
• Jobs supported by goods exports pay an estimated 13% to 18% above the national average.

Exports Sustain Thousands of Ohio Businesses

• A total of 16,345 companies exported from Ohio locations in 2012. Of those, 14,599 (89.3 percent) were small and medium sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.
•  Small and medium-sized firms generated nearly one-quarter (24.3 percent) of Ohio's total exports of merchandise in 2012.

Ohio Depends on World Markets

• Ohio’s export shipments of merchandise in 2013 totaled $50.8 billion.
• The state’s largest market was Canada.  Ohio posted merchandise exports of $20.1 billion to Canada in 2013, representing 39.5 percent of the state’s total merchandise exports.
• Canada was followed by Mexico ($5.0 billion), China ($3.4 billion), France ($2.0 billion), and the United Kingdom ($1.6 billion).
• Ohio’s exports to our 20 existing trade agreement partners cover 57% of Ohio’s overall exports ($28.9 billion). 
• The state's largest manufacturing export category is transportation equipment, which accounted for $16 billion of Ohio's total merchandise exports in 2013.
• Other top manufacturing exports are machinery ($6.9 billion), chemicals ($6.7 billion), electronic products ($3.1 billion), and fabricated metal products ($2.7 billion).
• Ohio is the country’s 10^th largest agricultural exporting state, shipping $4.1 billion in agricultural exports abroad in 2012 (latest data available according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture).^[1]  Ohio was the 6^th largest state exporter of soybeans ($1.7 billion), the 7^th largest state exporter of corn ($385 million), the 6^th largest exporter of soybean meal ($346 million), the 6^th largest exporter of vegetable oils ($264 million), and the 8^th largest exporter of feeds and fodder ($241 million).

Ohio Will Benefit from President Obama’s Trade Agenda

• President Obama’s top trade priorities are the negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership with the Asia-Pacific Region and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union – two state-of-the-art agreements that will unlock opportunity in the United States by fostering economic growth, supporting jobs, and bolstering our competitiveness.
• Four out of Ohio’s top five export markets will be covered by the Trans-Pacific Partnership (Canada, and Mexico), and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (France and the United Kingdom), making it easier for Ohio workers, farmers and ranchers, and businesses to sell more Made-in-America exports to Ohio’s main customers.
• 57% of Ohio’s exports ($28.9 billion) already go to TPP countries. 
• 16% of Ohio’s exports ($8.0 billion) already go to T-TIP countries.

International Investment Creates Jobs in Ohio

• In 2011 (latest year available), foreign-controlled companies employed 220,200 Ohio workers. Major sources of foreign investment in Ohio in 2011 included Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada.
• Foreign investment in Ohio was responsible for 5.0 percent of the state's total private-industry employment in 2011.

Ohio’s Major Metropolitan Areas Benefit from Exporting

In 2013, the following metropolitan areas in Ohio recorded goods exports:

• Cleveland-Elyria ($11.1 billion)
• Columbus ($5.7 billion)
• Akron ($3.5 billion)
• Toledo ($3.4 billion)
• Dayton ($2.7 billion)
• Canton-Massillon ($1.3 billion)
• Lima ($595 million)
• Mansfield ($343 million)
• Cincinnati ($21.0 billion) portions of this MSA are shared with one or more other states

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman ($1.4 billion) portions of this MSA are shared with one or more other states