Volume of InternationalTrade

International trade affecting our stateis still growing, perhaps faster than ever, driven by turn of the century expansion of internationaltrade around the globe.

International tradein Washington, the U.S. and the world has grown dramatically over the past 20 years. National and regional economiesare now linked around the world; food is shared between different climates and cultures, manufacturers have factories, suppliersand customers in multiple countries, and consumers purchase goods from all over the world by just walking to their local supermarket.

Over the last five decades, world economic integration has occurredat a rapid pace. Since 1950, world trade has almost doubled the average annual growth rate of world Gross Domestic Product(GDP) (World Bank, 2003).[1] This trend has been reinforced by long-term trends toward freer trade and reduced protectionismby many leading national economies, including the United States. As the world’s largest economy and the largestparticipant in international trade, the U.S. is critically linked to thesetrends.

The two graphs below show the growth of U.S. and Washington Stateinternational trade since 1980.