2014 was Alaska's second-best year for international exports
China's taste for Alaska goods is rapidly growing. But with cheap labor costs, China is also a major processor of Alaska seafood.
Alaska's international exports increased $625 million from 2013 to 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, reaching a total of about $5.2 billion. That's only about $100 million less than the state export record set in 2011, Alaska Dispatch News reports.
Seafood exports, mainly to Asia, accounted for the biggest piece of the 2014 export pie at $2.265 billion, according to the Alaska Office of International Trade.
China, which overtook Japan as the top international importer of Alaska goods in 2009, led the way with $1.46 billion in Alaska imports, an increase of 18.3 percent over 2013.