A Profile of Small and Medium-Sized Exporters (SMXs) in British Columbia

SMXs (Small and medium-sized exporters shipping less than $5 million worth of goods annually)

The average SMX exported $608,142 worth of goods in 2000.
There were approximately 4,548 SMXs in British Columbia in 2000 representing 1.3% of all businesses in the province.
SMXs in British Columbia comprised 89% of all exporters and shipped approximately $2.8 billion dollars worth of goods in 2000, about 8% of the province's total exports.
Between 1996 and 2000, British Columbia ranked second among the provinces in both average annual compound growth of number of SMXs (+0.4%) and value of SMX exports (+6.8%).
SMXs in British Columbia have a higher concentration in service industries (45%) compared to larger exporters (32%).
The fastest growing industry sector for SMXs between 1996 and 2000 was utilities, construction, transportation and warehousing.
The wholesale and retail trade sector shipped the largest portion (27%) of SMX exports of all industry groups in British Columbia with $750 million worth of exports in 2000.
Shipments of wood products ($540 million) and machinery and equipment ($448 million) comprised over 35% of all British Columbia SMX exports in 2000.
Wood products experienced the largest absolute growth in SMX shipments ($133 million in additional exports) from 1996 to 2000.
Over 85% of all SMXs in the province export to the United States. The next largest market is Asia, which imports goods from about 18% of all British Columbia SMXs.
Approximately 80% of British Columbia SMX exports were shipped to the United States in 2000.

Small businesses that export commodities (businesses with fewer than 50 employees)

Small businesses comprised 77% of all exporters in the province in 2000, but shipped only 34% of all British Columbia exports.
These businesses constituted just over 1% of all small businesses in British Columbia, while large businesses that exported made up 16% of all large businesses.