The early returns for 2010 suggest that it’s not a fluke. January exports were up 20% from a year earlier, and February’s were up 36%. At this rate, 2010 state exports would grow by nearly $4 billion from a year ago. An increase of that size still seems unlikely, but after the past two years it’s nice to realize it is even a possibility.

In 2009, about $3.1 million of the $165 million appropriated for the program went to Tennessee. This has increased by 27% in the past four years, as the state takes an ever larger portion of total TAA distributions. In other words, Tennessee needs more and more support relative to other states.