The share of total US goods trade (exports and imports) through California ports continued to edge down to 17.23% (12 month moving average; compared to 17.31% in Feb 2020 and 18.08% in Mar 2019).

California remained the #2 state, behind Texas with 17.87% (compared to 17.98% in Feb 2020 and 17.69% in Mar 2019). Trade through the Atlantic port states was at 29.87% (compared to 29.86% in Feb 2020 and 29.48% in Mar 2019). Even as the trade activity lead has again moved to Texas, the trade-related base continues to be one of California’s largest centers of middle-class, blue-collar jobs. Transportation & Warehousing alone provided 650,700 jobs in March (up from 619,700 in Mar 2019), paying an average annual salary of $62.0k. This employment base in turn supports additional blue-collar and white-collar jobs in a range of other industries.

Total California goods exports were down $2 billion from Mar 2019 (down 12.8%). California remained in 2nd place with 10.47% of all US goods exports (12 month moving total), behind Texas at 20.47%.

California’s balance of goods trade activity through state businesses narrowed to -$15.2 billion, compared to a level of -$15.6 billion in Mar 2019. California trade accounted for 25% of the US trade deficit in goods in Mar 2020.