- The number of Michigan companies exporting increased 65 percent from 1992 to 1998
- More than 86 percent of Michigan 10,482 companies that export are small- and medium-sized businesses
- Total exports from Michigan to NAFTA countries (Mexico and Canada) in 1999 were 74 percent higher than 1993, before NAFTA
Source
And here's something for you and our friend Sam:
| Motor vehicle parts, not including engines | $6,813 |
| Automobiles | $2,999 |
| Motor vehicle engines | $1,773 |
| Trucks | $1,304 |
| Unshaped plastics | $436 |
| Motor vehicle engine parts | $403 |
| Plate, sheet & strip, steel | $300 |
| Air conditioning & refrigeration equipment | $287 |
| Bolts, nuts & screws | $188 |
| Furniture & fixtures | $176 |
And please note those export figures do not include ag-products. Nor do they include Mexico.
None of which, as I pointed out, has changed the purchase price of the car. I'll bet I could go down the road proving the purchase price of a VW Beetle then equals a Kia or Hyundai now or a Cadillac DeVille then equals a Lexus Infiniti now. What HAS changed is the ability of the consumer to pay for it.
| Motor vehicle parts, not including engines | $6,813 |
| Automobiles | $2,999 |
| Motor vehicle engines | $1,773 |
| Trucks | $1,304 |
| Unshaped plastics | $436 |
| Motor vehicle engine parts | $403 |
| Plate, sheet & strip, steel | $300 |
| Air conditioning & refrigeration equipment | $287 |
| Bolts, nuts & screws | $188 |
| Furniture & fixtures | $176 |
I was about to laud this set of exports totalling $15 billion, when I visited the source page; the problem is the next table which shows $39 billion worth of imports from Canada to Michigan, leaving a difference of -$25 billion:
| Automobiles | $22,587 |
| Trucks | $7,968 |
| Motor vehicle parts, not including engines | $4,187 |
| Motor vehicle engines & parts | $1,310 |
| Synthetic rubber & plastics | $782 |
| Crude petroleum | $763 |
| Natural gas | $633 |
| Basic metal products | $375 |
| Aluminum, including alloys | $329 |
| Plate, sheet & strip, steel | $326 |
I don't know if this is representative of total trade for Canada/Michigan, but the massive deficit on this page doesn't convince me that we are pursuing wise policies.