County Ranked 13th in Nation as Exporter

Orange County is the nation’s 13th largest exporter, according to the federal Commerce Department. Better still, while export sales rose an average of 11.5% during the reporting period, Orange County’s were up 18.8%.

Because it is from the federal government, rarely known for its blinding speed, the information comes from 1994 export sales totals. But 1995 was an even better year if more recently published economic forecasts and shipping reports from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are any indication.

In any event, the official federal rankings of the top 25 regions for exports put Orange County and its $6.7 billion in export sales for 1994 just after Boston and just ahead of Philadelphia. Tops on the list, thanks to auto sales, was Detroit, at $27.5 billion, followed by New York at $23.5 billion and Los Angeles at $22.5 billion.

John O’Dell covers major Orange County corporations, manufacturing and economic issues for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-5831 and at john.odell@latimes.com.