Isle exports to China
top $1 million

The 1998 figure places Hawaii near
the bottom of all states and territories

Star-Bulletin staff

Hawaii's exports to China last year topped $1 million, ranking the state 50th out of 54 states and territories, according to a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The United States exported about $18 billion in goods and services to China in 1998. The chamber is campaigning to maintain normal trade relations between the United States and China. "It's important to Hawaii's industries and workers to further open China's markets to American products," Thomas J. Donohue, the chamber president and chief executive officer said in a statement.

Hawaii's total last year of $1,222,000 was led by food products, $369,000; electric and electronic equipment, $168,000; scientific and measuring instruments, $163,000; chemical products, $134,000 and fish and other marine products, $112,000.

Donohue said that maintaining normal trade relations with China would allow foreign goods to be sold in the United States with relatively low tariffs and would ensure that U.S. goods receive normal tariff treatment in China as well. He said this status is extended to virtually every U.S. trading partner and was first granted to China in 1980.

The chamber's report is based on statistics compiled by the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Census Bureau.