Utah exports continue rise, boosting jobs, economy

Early results suggest Utah once again is on pace to report a record year of exports, a sector that has added 20,000 jobs statewide in the past four years. The value of the state’s merchandise exports — from its precious metals to its high-tech medical products — surpassed $5.6 billion in the first four months of 2011, a 20.4 percent increase over the $4.7 billion exported during the same period of the previous year. Utah exported $13.6 billion in merchandise in 2010, a 31 percent increase over 2009’s record. Salt Lake Tribune