Small and Medium- Sized Enterprises: Overview of ...

United States International Trade Commission

Small and MediumSized Enterprises: Overview of Participation in U.S. Exports

Investigation No. 332-508 USITC Publication 4125 January 2010

U.S. International Trade Commission

COMMISSIONERS

Shara L. Aranoff, Chairman Daniel R. Pearson, Vice Chairman

Deanna Tanner Okun Charlotte R. Lane

Irving A. Williamson Dean A. Pinkert

Robert A. Rogowsky Director of Operations

Robert B. Koopman Director of Economics

Karen Laney-Cummings Director, Office of Industries

Address all communications to Secretary to the Commission United States International Trade Commission

Washington, DC 20436

U.S. International Trade Commission

Washington, DC 20436

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Overview of Participation in U.S. Exports

Investigation No. 332-508

Publication 4125

January 2010

Project Leadership

Alexander Hammer, Project Leader alexander.hammer@

Cathy Jabara, Deputy Project Leader cathy.jabara@

Laura Bloodgood, Coordinating Project Leader laura.bloodgood@

Nicholas Grossman, Statistical Coordinator nicholas.grossman@

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Principal Authors

Alexander Hammer alexander.hammer@

Cathy Jabara

cathy.jabara@

Eric Cardenas

eric.cardenas@

Jeremy Wise

jeremy.wise@

Nicholas Grossman nicholas.grossman@

Joann Peterson

joann.peterson@

Allison Gosney

allison.gosney@

Other Analytic Contributors

Laura Bloodgood, Richard Brown, Nannette Christ, Daniel Cook, Judith Dean, Katherine Linton, David Lundy, and James Stamps

Special Assistance From

Diane Bennett, Peg Hausman, Andrew Martinez, Aaron Miller, Cynthia Payne, Vince Procacci, and Patricia M. Thomas

Under the Direction Of

Arona Butcher, Chief Country, Regional, and Analysis Division

arona.butcher@

Abstract

This report describes characteristics of domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the role they play in U.S. exports. Within the U.S. economy, SMEs account for the vast majority of firms and approximately half the gross domestic product (GDP) generated by nonagricultural sectors. However, SMEs accounted for only about 30 percent of merchandise exports between 1997 and 2007. As was the case for larger firms, SME merchandise goods were primarily exported to Canada and Mexico in 2007, and SME principal exports were computer and electronic products, machinery, and chemicals. Unlike larger firms, SMEs tended to concentrate their merchandise exports in highincome destination markets such as Hong Kong, Israel, and Switzerland, and in laborintensive product categories such as wood products and apparel and accessories. Moreover, relative to larger firms, growth in the value of SME exports was more dependent upon net new market entrants, particularly among the smallest SMEs. While services export data for SMEs are largely unavailable, data on the location of affiliates for two services industries??(1) finance and insurance and (2) professional, scientific, and technical services??suggest that the United Kingdom and Canada are likely to have been important export destinations for SME firms in these industries in recent years.

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