Total US goods trade (exports and imports) through California ports eased to 17.81% (12 month moving average; compared to 17.87% in Aug 2019 and 18.17% in Sep 2018).

California remained the #1 state, but only marginally ahead of Texas with 17.73% (compared to 17.76% in Aug 2019 and 17.5% in Sep 2018). Trade through the Atlantic port states was at 29.74% (compared to 29.64% in Aug 2019 and 29.29% in Sep 2018).

The state’s continued lead in this area forms the trade-related base for one of California’s largest centers of middle-class, blue-collar jobs. Transportation & Warehousing alone provided 627,900 jobs in Sep (up from 615,400 in Sep 2018), paying an average annual salary of $63.5k. 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 $0.7 billion from Sep 2018 (down 4.8%). California remained in 2nd place with 10.54% of all US goods exports (12 month moving total), behind Texas at 19.77%.

California’s balance of goods trade through state businesses narrowed to -$20.6 billion, compared to a level of -$23.7 billion in Sep 2018. California trade accounted for 29% of the US trade deficit in goods in Sep 2019.