U.S. exports fall slightly in February to $190.4B

   The U.S. Commerce Department on Thursday reported that the country’s exports of goods and services in February fell slightly to $190.4 billion from $192.5 billion in January.
   However, service exports hit record levels, driven by royalties, license fees and other private services, the department said.
   In addition, Commerce found about 298,000 U.S. small and midsized enterprises, or firms with fewer than 500 employees, exported goods in 2012. That’s up from 296,800 in 2011.
   “Exports now support 11.3 million jobs, and we will build on that success as we continue to help U.S. firms sell more of their goods and services to new markets,” Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said in a statement.
   The United States exported a record $2.3 trillion dollars last year, up nearly $700 billion from 2009. Major import markets for U.S. goods over this period include Panama, Russia, Peru, Hong Kong, Colombia, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Indonesia.