Reevaluating the Position of Southern Exports on the Global Stage

Export-oriented manufacturing is often viewed as an important element of economic development. In recent decades, many states across the southern United States have made concerted efforts to attract exporters and promote this type of industrial policy. This paper uses an evolutionary economic geography perspective to examine recent export trends for several Southern states, across several measures, since the implementation of NAFTA. Overall, the analyses suggest that most Southern states have export intensities that are above the national average, yet positive relationships with state-level incomes are unclear. Additionally, Southern states were found to be remarkably heterogeneous in terms of state-level export performance, dominant export composition, and destination markets, but also point to an overreliance on traditional economic development perspectives which may lead to future difficulties in adapting to inevitable shifts in the global economic system.