Exports of goods and services over the last twelve months totaled $2.005 trillion, which is 27.3 percent above the level of exports in 2009.  Over the last twelve months, exports have been growing at an annualized rate of 16.5 percent when compared to 2009, a pace greater than the 15 percent required to double exports by the end of 2014.

“Exports are a bright spot in our economic recovery, and it is critical that we encourage more American companies to compete in international markets,” said Hochberg. “I am pleased that U.S. exports are at an all-time high, and Ex-Im Bank is continuing to create and sustain U.S. jobs through our export financing products.”

Over the last twelve months, the major export markets with the largest annualized increase in U.S. goods purchases were Turkey (51.0 percent), Panama (36.3 percent), South Africa (36.1 percent), Argentina(35.1), Peru (33.8 percent), Brazil (30.2 percent), Thailand (29.0 percent), Hong Kong (28.8 percent),Taiwan (28.5), and Egypt (26.8).

Furthering U.S. export growth, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has approved approximately $25 billion in total authorizations in FY2011 YTD – an all-time record. This total included more than 2,500 U.S. small-business transactions. Ex-Im Bank’s authorizations through August 2011 are supporting more than $30 billion in U.S. export sales and approximately 213,000 American jobs in communities across the country.

Georgia Chopsticks is located in Americus, Georgia, just a couple of hours south of Atlanta. The owner, Jae Lee, said that his company is producing about two million chopsticks a day and is exporting them to China and Japan in huge numbers.

The poplar and gum trees that Lee uses in his chopsticks is popular with overseas and domestic consumers.

Imagine that – selling chopsticks .. to the Chinese.