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BMW vehicles built at the automaker's Upstate campus are ready for export at the Port of Charleston's Columbus Street Terminal. BMW exports about 70 percent of the vehicles it builds in South Carolina. File/Leroy Burnell/Staff

South Carolina set its eighth consecutive record for exports in 2017 with $32.2 billion worth of goods leaving the Palmetto State for foreign markets, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The 2017 export total represents a 2.9 percent increase over last year's previous record and is 28.3 percent higher than five years ago.

"The Palmetto State has a long and rich history in international trade," Bobby Hitt, the state's Commerce Secretary, said in a statement. "One time a leader in the export of rice, indigo and cotton, we now export a more diverse group of products, including complex items such as cars, planes and major household appliances."

Passenger vehicles remained South Carolina's top commodity in 2017 with nearly one-third of the state's total export value. German automaker BMW accounted for $8.8 billion of those exports, with 234,253 of its X-model SUVs made in Spartanburg County sent to foreign markets through the Port of Charleston. BMW remained the nation's single largest automotive exporter by dollar value.

All told, South Carolina accounted for 16 percent of all U.S. vehicle exports by dollar value in 2017.

"BMW X models manufactured in South Carolina continue to be a major contributor to the BMW Group's success," Knudt Flor, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing, said in a statement.

Flor, who has bristled at President Donald Trump's previous statements that Germany's auto industry hurts U.S. manufacturers, said the Upstate plant's success is proof that BMW is boosting America's workforce and productivity.

"Spartanburg's achievement as the country's leading automotive exporter demonstrates BMW's trusted partnership with this state, its contribution to the U.S. balance of trade and its commitment to the United States," he said.

South Carolina is expected to maintain its top ranking in the coming year, with Volvo Cars starting production of a remodeled S60 sedan this summer at its Berkeley County manufacturing campus. Volvo has said it will export up to 60 percent of the vehicles it makes at its new $1.1 billion site off Interstate 26 near Ridgeville.

Commercial airplanes were the state's second-largest export commodity, with about $6 billion worth of jets built at Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner campus in North Charleston sold to foreign markets.

Machinery and rubber also were among the state's top export commodities. Tire manufacturers including Bridgestone, Continental and Michelin helped South Carolina account for 31 percent of all passenger tire exports from the U.S. in 2017.

"The rising production of export goods in South Carolina is a key driver of the port's strong growth," said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the State Ports Authority.

Newsome said about $2 billion worth of improvements under way at the Port of Charleston, including deepening Charleston Harbor to 52 feet to better accommodate large container ships, will help its terminals attract more export cargo.

The authority "is well-positioned to meet the growing needs of our state's exporters and enhance South Carolina's economic competitiveness and presence in the global marketplace," Newsome said.

China remained South Carolina's top export market, accounting for 19 percent of all goods sent overseas in 2017. Canada was second at 12 percent followed by Germany's 11 percent market share.

South Carolina continues to have a trade deficit, with $37.5 billion worth of goods imported to the state last year. That is a 3.9 percent increase over 2016 totals.

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Reach David Wren at 843-937-5550 or on Twitter at @David_Wren_

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