JANUARY 2000  VOL. 10, NO. 1  Small Businesses Driving Exports U.S. Small Business Administrator Aida Alvarez released new data that show small businesses are going global in a big way. Small businesses now account for almost a third of all US export sales. Nearly 97% of US firms which export are small businesses. Small businesses account for nearly 31% of total US export sales, from 26% in 1987. The number of small firms that export has tripled over the last decade. In the past five years, the value of small business exports has increased 300%. Very small companies - those with fewer than 20 employees - made up 65% of all US exporting firms in 1997. Back to Wireline Contents American Wire Producers Association 801 North Fairfax Street, Suite 211 Alexandria, VA 22314-1757 Tel (703) 299-4434 | Fax (703) 299-9233 | E-mail info@awpa.org | Web: www.awpa.org