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Heartland Exports and Imports Soar in November.
KANSAS CITY, MO. (December 10, 2003) -- Heartland new export orders made a significant gain in November, reaching 57.3 following October's disappointing 49.5, according to the Heartland International Business Index of supply managers.
Professor Ernie Goss, Creighton University economics department chair, who compiles the index for the Heartland International Business Alliance (HIBA), attributed the gain to "a significant decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, making American goods cheaper abroad."
North Dakota had the highest export reading at 66.7, followed by Missouri at 63.3, Minnesota at 62.5, Nebraska at 53.8, and Arkansas, Iowa and Kansas at 50.0. The sample size for Oklahoma was insufficient to record.
The Heartland import index remained very high at 56.8 in November, down just a tick from October's strong 56.9. This was the twelfth consecutive month that imports remained above growth neutral 50.0. An improving U.S. economy pulled imports up despite a weakening dollar.
The HIBI is a service of the HIBA and its member-city international trade associations. It is the only real-time monthly indicator of changes in exports and imports in the Heartland.
| Date | Import Index | Export Index |
| November 2002 | 47.9 | 46.8 |
| December 2002 | 59.6 | 56.7 |
| January 2003 | 53.3 | 47.0 |
| February 2003 | 56.3 | 53.7 |
| March 2003 | 52.6 | 46.8 |
| April 2003 | 56.0 | 54.3 |
| May 2003 | 53.2 | 54.0 |
| June 2003 | 52.1 | 56.1 |
| July 2003 | 55.8 | 50.0 |
| August 2003 | 53.2 | 57.1 |
| September 2003 | 50.0 | 48.6 |
| October 2003 | 56.9 | 49.5 |
| November 2003 | 56.8 | 57.3 |
