Book Description

This report describes characteristics of domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the role they play in U.S. exports. Within the U.S. economy, SMEs account for the vast majority of firms and approximately half the gross domestic product (GDP) generated by nonagricultural sectors. However, SMEs accounted for only about 30 percent of merchandise exports between 1997 and 2007. As was the case for larger firms, SME merchandise goods were primarily exported to Canada and Mexico in 2007, and SME principal exports were computer and electronic products, machinery, and chemicals. Unlike larger firms, SMEs tended to concentrate their merchandise exports in high income destination markets such as Hong Kong, Israel, and Switzerland, and in labor intensive product categories such as wood products and apparel and accessories. Moreover, relative to larger firms, growth in the value of SME exports was more dependent upon net new market entrants, particularly among the smallest SMEs. While services export data for SMEs are largely unavailable, data on the location of affiliates for two services industries--(1) finance and insurance and (2) professional, scientific, and technical services--suggest that the United Kingdom and Canada are likely to have been important export destinations for SME firms in these industries in recent years.