By DAN CHAPMAN

The Atlanta region exported $11.4 billion of goods in 2006 – 58 percent of Georgia's total merchandise exports, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said this week in Atlanta.

Overall, Atlanta ranked as the nation's 17th largest metropolitan export market, according to the newly tabulated, city-specific trade data. States and the federal government typically gauge import-export statistics on a state-by-state or regional basis.

"Having this information is essential because international trade is of growing importance to our nation's prosperity and economic competitiveness," Gutierrez said Thursday during the International Poultry Expo at the World Congress Center. "We've had six years of economic growth (but) now we are facing the challenge of a housing market correction, with possibly slower growth in the first and second quarters of this year than the second half of 2007."


Spotted here