San Diego's economy is getting a big boost from the export of things like electronics, transportation machinery and agricultural products. Those items are considered merchandise goods.
San Diego is one of five California cities that rank among the nation's 50 largest export markets.
Merchandise goods exported from San Diego were worth more than $17 billion last year, making the region the third largest exporting city in California. Los Angeles shipped more than $76 billion worth of goods. San Francisco totaled more than $25 billion.
Commerce Department official Praveen Dixip said San Diego's merchandise goods exports jumped just over 4 percent from 2012 to 2013.
"(That) is roughly $702 million," Dixip said. The 4.1 percent increase in the San Diego exports "was higher than the national average which is 3.1 percent," he said.
Dixip said the merchandise exports in California supported more than 800,000 jobs in the state. He said 11 percent of the nation's exports come from California.
