By Alan Lytle
Lexington, KY – The Obama Administration has committed to doubling the amount of U-S exports and creating more than two million new jobs as part of its National Exports Initiative. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Suresh Kumar gave attendees at Wednesday's World Trade Day conference in Lexington an update on how Kentucky is helping in that effort.
"In 2009, Kentucky exported 17.6 billion dollars in terms of value. (And in the first six months of 2010) that number is up 22 percent over the same period last year. So that's just a magnitude of what it is. But as you well know, behind those numbers are people."
Secretary Kumar had this message for small, medium, and large companies in the Commonwealth: "If they want to export, than they are going to have a very willing and energetic partner in the Obama administration."
The Commerce Department says 31-hundred companies export goods from Kentucky, 77 percent of them are small and medium sized; employing fewer than 500 people.