It's no secret South Carolina is on the cutting edge as a leader in the global manufacturing and high-tech industries. We make some remarkable products in our state - wide body commercial aircraft, premium automobiles, pharmaceuticals and so much more.
Team South Carolina had the opportunity to highlight our successes and strategies at the 2019 Global Carolina Connections Conference held in Columbia earlier this week. Focused on foreign direct investment (FDI) and international manufacturing in the Carolinas, the conference brings together leaders from international and affiliated companies to discuss current impacts on FDI, future trends, recruitment and strategy updates and more.
As a national leader in foreign direct investment, South Carolina extends our global reach with offices in Europe and Asia that also help existing companies in developing export markets. While the Palmetto State ranked number one in the nation for attracting jobs through foreign investment on a per capita basis in 2018, we also saw success in trade. Last year, S.C. exporters achieved a ninth consecutive record year in export sales - topping $34 billion for the first time.
Collaboration is key; with the support of our teams based in China, Germany, India, Japan and Korea, Team S.C. is always exploring new partnerships and ways to continue to grow our global connectivity.
Moving forward, we know there is still tremendous international opportunity for our state, and we remain committed to strengthening these partnerships.