In 2012, Iowa exports of manufactured goods and value-added agricultural products increased by almost 10% over the 2011 calendar year; in contract, overall exports for the entire U.S. grew by 4.46%.

On June 3, the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Iowa Economic Development Authority - International Trade office (IEDA - ITO), will host the Global Quad Cities conference. Meet with the IEDA-ITO trade specialists representing Western Europe, Taiwan and China and learn what information, resources and contacts you need to exports goods and services around the world.

More than 2,500 companies in Iowa export goods, and 84% of those are small- to medium-sized companies. Iowa's exporting companies supported an estimated additional 5,000 jobs in 2012, for a total of approximately 73,000 jobs supported by Iowa's exporters.