Office of Public Affairs
Related Information
For Immediate Release: June 4, 2013
Contact: Mara Lee (202) 482-3809
Statement from U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco SÁnchez on International Trade in Goods and Services in April 2013
WASHINGTON – U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez issued the following statement today on the release of the April 2013 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services (PDF) data. In April 2013, exports of goods and services reached their second-highest monthly total on record, increasing to $187.4 billion. This represents a $2.2 billion increase from March 2013.
Total services exports hit an all-time record of $56.3 billion, led by increases in travel and other private services. April 2013 also posted record exports of auto vehicles, parts and engines, as well as consumer goods.
As this latest data show, travel and tourism is an important sector of our economy. Year-to-date, international visitors spent $57.9 billion on U.S. travel and tourism related services, an increase of 8 percent when compared to the same period in 2012. As a whole, the U.S. travel and tourism-related industries support nearly 7.7 million American jobs, while U.S. travel and tourism exports have doubled since 2002.
“The latest data confirm the positive impact exports of U.S. goods and services are having on our economy,” said Under Secretary Sánchez. “An increase in international visitor spending is helping us reach the goals of the President’s National Export Initiative, by increasing both exports and export-supported jobs. In addition, we are making progress toward our goal to welcome 100 million international visitors annually to the United States. This Administration is committed to making America the number one tourist destination, which will further support millions of American workers who are employed by the travel and tourism sector.”
###
International Trade Administration
The International Trade Administration (ITA) is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. ITA has 2,400 employees assisting U.S. exporters in more than 100 U.S. cities and 70 countries worldwide. For more information on ITA visit www.trade.gov.
The International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, manages this global trade site to provide access to ITA information on promoting trade and investment, strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. This site contains PDF documents. A PDF reader is available from Adobe Systems Incorporated.