Last year, Dick Conway, a Seattle economist, observed that currently one out of every four jobs in Washington State is tied to trade. His study further projected that by 2005 one out of three jobs will be tied to trade. This job growth makes sense considering what's happened recently on the export front. Exports from Washington State are growing at a significant rate. Today, international trade is an increasingly vital component of our economic strength at home and leadership abroad.
Exports are now more important in our economy than ever.
Since 1993, more than a third of our economic growth has come directly from exports, and the number of export-related jobs has increased by 1.7 million. We must find new markets for our goods and services in order to help our economy maintain strong growth. We need fast track if our economy is to stay on the fast track. Sidelining ourselves at this critical juncture will have repercussions that will be far more than economic. Economic prosperity contributes to economic security, which in turn supports democracy and stability.