Mr. Malcolm

National export figures released in April by the Commerce Department show a continuing upward trend in keeping with last year’s climb to more than 11 percent of gross domestic product, Owen Malcolm, chief financial officer of Sanders Financial Management Inc., told GlobalAtlanta.

Sanders Financial Management is a financial advisory and investment management firm based in Norcross with a target of 25 to 30 percent of its portfolios invested in foreign assets.

Mr. Malcolm cited the latest figures showing that through February U.S. exports of goods and services grew by 10.1 percent compared to the first two months of 2006 to $250.8 billion.

According to the Commerce Department, the largest export markets for U.S. products this year through February were Canada, Mexico, Japan and China. Exports to each of these countries were up compared to January and February, 2006, with exports to China up 18.6 percent.

Exports for the period to Canada were valued at $36 billion; to Mexico, $20.8 billion; to Japan, $9.8 billion and to China, $9 billion.

The export growth was primarily in organic chemicals, civilian aircraft and pharmaceutical products, according to the department.

Mr. Malcolm said that he considers the export figures important to gauge the health of the economy, but less so than gross domestic product and inflation figures.

For the U.S. economy to remain strong, he said, it will have to depend on its revenues to offset government spending.

An advocate of free trade, he also pointed to the positive impact on exports that pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, Peru and Korea would have.

The Commerce Department reported that U.S. exports to Colombia amounted to $7 billion, up 26.2 percent over the 12 months ending in February.

The department also reported the following increases in exports over the period for Panama, $2.7 billion, up 21.7 percent; Peru, $3 billion, up 26.7 percent and Korea, $32.7 billion, up 15.9 percent.