State exports totaled $9.15 billion in the first half of the year, a 30 percent increase over the same period last year, according to the Arizona Department of Commerce.
Sales to Mexico, the state’s No. 1 international market, grew from $2.3 billion in the second quarter of 2005 to $2.8 billion in the same quarter this year — a 21 percent increase.
Canadian purchases of Arizona goods grew from $811 million to $989 million in the same period, an increase of 22 percent for the state’s second-largest international customer.
The state’s mining industry is a big factor in the increased trade figures, a trade official said.
The largest dollar increases are due to exports of minerals and ores from the state and the increased value of commodities such as copper and molybdenum, said Kristian Richardson, international trade specialist with the U.S. Commercial Service office in Phoenix.
Other factors in the increased export figures are sales of more information and communications technology such as computer chips and satellite dishes, Ms. Richardson said.
At the current pace, commerce officials said Arizona is on track for the strongest export performance to date, topping an annual $18 billion for the first time.
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