Georgia’s Trade, Exports Hit Records Again

Amid concerns about supposed “de-globalization,” another year of record trade showed that Georgia’s economy remains internationally integrated, even as some of the trade lanes were starting to shift.

The state’s total trade — the tally of all imports and exports passing through its ports — surpassed $196 billion in 2022, making Georgia the No. 7 trading state, just ahead of Florida and just behind New Jersey, partially home to the busiest ports in the United States. (Georgia ranks eighth by population.)

Despite efforts to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., Georgia’s imports swelled in line with national trends, growing 20.3 percent to $148.7 billion (more than three-quarters of its total trade). 

Or, perhaps greater local manufacturing actually drove imports: Buying more inputs reflected “Georgia’s status as a global logistics and distribution hub, as well as the global supply chains that support manufacturing across the state,” according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development. 

Exports, meanwhile, grew by 11 percent to a record $47.2 billion, even as uncertainty in the global economy persisted. A stronger dollar, which generally hits exports, seemed to bolster their value in a year marked by rising prices.  

Gov. Brian Kemp took note of the fact that 85 percent of exports came from small businesses, and the international sales to 216 countries and territories came from all 159 of Georgia’s counties. 

“I’m proud that 85 percent of exporters were small businesses, reaching from the Port of Savannah to the North Georgia mountains and everywhere in between. Every county in the state contributed to this success, and this is just the latest sign that opportunity can be found in every zip code in Georgia,” Mr. Kemp said in a statement.