Motor vehicle exports from Tennessee have more than doubled since 2000 with the automotive industry emerging as perhaps the state’s largest export sector, a new study shows.
Vehicles accounted for 8.5 percent of all state exports in 2014, up from 3.6 percent in 2000, according to the Middle Tennessee State University study.
“Much of this growth is rather recent,” said Dr. Steven Livingston, a research associate at MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center. “The value of the state’s vehicle exports has virtually doubled in the past two years. The growth in exports of motor vehicles has far outpaced overall Tennessee export growth.”
Vehicles valued at $2.8 billion shipped outside of the country last year, the study shows.
A vehicle comes through a wash down at the new energy efficient paint plant Nissan Smyrna plant Wednesday, April 17, 2013 in Smyrna, TN. (Sanford Myers / The Tennessean)At the same time, the value of auto parts which were sent abroad stood at nearly $7.5 billion in 2014, according to the MTSU report.