Exports and Growth: Learning from the Case of Southern U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Abstract

The relationship between exports and economic growth is a paradigmatic element of modern economic growth policy, despite the absence of strong evidence of a connection. Until recently, data on export production prevented an extensive empirical analysis of metropolitan-scale trade. This article examines the export growth dynamics across large metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) within the southern United States, a region that has been impacted by economic globalization. These analyses found that some Southern metropolitan areas differ from regional and national averages in selected measures of export performance. Additionally, the export performance of Southern cities was not correlated with all indicators of economic development. This article concludes that export dynamics should be viewed increasingly from an urban frame, with particular emphasis on the production of globally consumed knowledge products and advanced manufacturing. Moreover, export policy should be directed toward the individual strengths of urban regions.