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of World Trade Center Mississippi. “Other factors,
such as need, utility, quality, innovation, service,
and customer taste come into play that can make
your company competitive.”
Perhaps international trade’s most significant
contribution to the state is its direct support of
jobs. Export-related trade alone supports 45,000
jobs in Mississippi, making a significant impact
on the state’s economy. The state has seen an
increase of 11 percent (around 4,000) export-
related jobs since 2012. The vast majority of these
jobs (75 percent) are from small and medium
sized companies with less than 500 workers.
In addition to supporting jobs in fields related
to the exchange of goods and services such as
transportation, warehousing, processing, and
logistics, international trade fosters job creation
in the manufacturing and service industries
by generating new business for Mississippi’s
producers, services providers, and farmers.
Moreover, foreign direct investment in
Mississippi creates jobs across a range of sectors
including defense, aerospace, metal, and vehicle
manufacturing. Foreign-owned companies invest
significant amounts of capital to open and expand
facilities in Mississippi every year. The number of
Mississippians working for foreign subsidies has
increased by nearly 20 percent in the last five years.
With future economic growth in Mississippi
increasingly dependent on its ability to
compete on the global stage, World Trade
Center Mississippi is committed to providing
trade services, international exposure, research,
education, and other benefits to Mississippi
companies seeking to grow their business through
international expansion.
