The Pacific Northwest region of the United States ' home to major Puget Sound container ports in Tacoma and Seattle ' is countering a national trend; it is expanding its worldwide exports.

According to the Washington Council on International Trade (WCIT), one-third of the Washington state's economic activity, one-third of its agricultural product and one in three jobs depends on international trade.

On a per capita basis, Washington is now the most trade-dependent state in the United States. "When you take our total two-way trade volume ' more than $110 billion annually ' and divide by our population of roughly 6.3 million Washingtonians, you get an annual two-way trade volume of more than $17,000 per person," WCIT President Bill Center said in a recent speech to the National Lieutenant Governors' Association.

States with a larger aggregate total such as California, Texas and New York, Center noted, have a per-capita volume of approximately $8,000.

In 2006 alone, Washington state exported $53 billion worth of goods to global customers, according to the World Institute for Strategic Economic Research, an international trade statistics database. Pacific Rim trade represented nearly half of our state's total exports at 24.5%.

At the Port of Tacoma, the average annual export growth over the past five years is 14%.

"These growing markets, especially in Asia and India, have more expendable income, are highly educated, and many have traveled or been educated in the United States," said Tong Zhu, the Port of Tacoma's Director of Commercial Strategy. "They want US products."

Zhu says success in the international marketplace is not as simple as offering up more of what's popular in the United States and expecting brisk sales. "It's very important for us to keep innovation going and localize our products in terms of features, packaging to fit the needs of customers, and the suitability to the specific market," she explained. "For example, among the Japanese, Chinese and the Korean markets, there are great differences. So manufacturers can't consider the whole Asian market as one entity."

Products Tailored for Success

Brown & Haley, a historic Tacoma confections export leader, capitalizes on these cultural nuances. Company leaders know that the round pink Almond Roca tin ' famous in the Pacific Northwest United States ' must be packed in a gift box. "Asian people, especially the Japanese, show honor and respect for their family through gift giving," explained Brown & Haley CEO Pierson Clair. "Because it's difficult to wrap the classic Almond Roca tin, it is important for us to pre-box the tin so our Asian customers can give the gift in a way that honors their culture."

If an American manufacturer is going to compete, it must match the needs of the individual consumer in the specific country with the appropriate product. For Brown & Haley, the sweetness level and premium nuts in Roca products are a natural fit. "Asian consumers will not buy the typical American confection, but because they understand the health implications of nuts and prefer a less sweet taste, they're readily drawn to Almond Roca," said Clair.

At SuperValu International, the majority of the company's business ' 70% ' is international distribution directly to overseas retailers, and the majority of that export business is supplying US products. To accommodate its mostly Asian international market with well-suited products, the company provides private labeling, customized product packaging and finely-tuned flavor profiles for products like soft drinks as well as retailer education on US food trends.

Diane Maske, SuperValu Director of Export Sal