ANCHORAGE—Governor Bill Walker announced Mon
day Alaska exported more than $5.15 billion of goods in 2014—the second highest year ever for Alaskan exports, and a 13.8 percent increase over the previous year. Nationally, exports rose 2.8 percent in 2014.
“Alaskans across the state support the industries whose exports strengthen our economy,” Governor Walker said. “Our Alaskan exporters applied their ingenuity and a strong work ethic with exceptionally successful results.”
Two countries topped Alaska’s list of export markets at a billion dollars or more each—China and Japan. Exports to China were $1.46 billion, up 18.3 percent, due to strong increases in mineral ores and seafood. Exports to China included $783.5 million in seafood, $480.4 million in mineral ores, $90.0 million in forest products and $53.9 million in fish meal. Exports to Japan were $1.02 billion, up 48.8 percent due to the 2014 restart of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export from Cook Inlet and due to stronger export of seafood and mineral ores. Exports to Japan included $525.6 million in seafood, $239.5 million in mineral ores and $221.9 million in LNG.
Alaska’s seafood exports increased 2.1 percent to $2.26 billion. Mineral ores were up 17.1 percent to $1.75 billion, including Canadian copper that is exported from Skagway. Energy exports were up 43.1 percent to $551.9 million, buoyed by the Cook Inlet LNG exports to Japan.
An interesting export was the sale of a jackup rig, partially owned by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority and its partners in Singapore, to new owners in South Africa, boosting the state’s exports to that country to more than $100 million.
(Source of Alaska export values: U.S. Census Bureau in February 2015. The numbers do not reflect Alaska resources and products first transported to and warehoused in other US states before export.)
