California, Texas swap export leader status

California, Texas swap export leader status California recaptured the title of the nation's leading export state in March, jumping ahead of Texas with a 4.4 percent increase over March 2007.
   The Golden State, which had led the U.S. Principal Parties of Interest data series since its inception in January 2006, slipped behind Texas in February.
   Despite Texas recording a 15.3 percent increase in value of exports during March to $12.5 billion, California surged ahead on $13.3 billion in exports, based on USPPI data.
   Texas did lead the nation in the export of manufactured goods at $10.2 billion ediging out California at $9.5 billion. However, California easily remained atop the leader board in the export of non-manufactured goods, reporting $1.5 billion in value compared to Texas' $891.7 million for March.
   However, based on the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis' Origin of Movement data, Texas led the nation again in exports, topping out at $15.6 billion, an 11.3 percent increase of the year-ago period. California recorded $12.4 billion in exports based on the OM data, a 4.5 percent    increase.
   In terms of commodities exported by both California and Texas, high technology goods led export growth in March. Oil products and manufacturing equipment for the semiconductor industry posted the largest growth increases for California OM exports, while the leading decliner was air transportation equipment. Oil products and wheat topped Texas' OM exports for March.