Authors: Howard Howe and Mark Leary

New York's merchandise export performance has trailed the nation's for several years. The cause of this gap is not easy to identify: the state maintains a relatively healthy mix of customer markets, remains well represented in industries with strong foreign demand, and continues to enjoy declining labor costs. A broader look at New York's competitiveness, however, reveals that high nonlabor costs may be hurting the state's manufacturing sector and thus its volume of exports.