FedEx Trade Index: 8 in 10 Small Businesses Say Trade Will Improve the U.S. Economy

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

An increasing majority of U.S. small business leaders overwhelmingly view global trade as beneficial to Americans. FedEx Corp. has released results of the second FedEx Trade Index, a national survey of over 1,000 small business leaders which tracks the impact of international trade among the small business segment of the U.S. economy.

The results of the second survey*, commissioned by FedEx and conducted by Morning Consult, finds a significant majority (84%) of small business leaders say expanding trade between the U.S. and other countries is a good thing, up from 77% last year. Similarly, 8 in 10 small business leaders (80%) say increasing global trade will improve the U.S. economy overall, up from 71% in the 2016 Index. Three out of four small business leaders (76%) also agree increasing global trade will create opportunities and U.S. jobs, compared to 69% in September 2016.

“These results show even more American small business leaders support expanding trade than last year,” said Raj Subramaniam, executive vice president, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, FedEx Corp. “One thing is certain - small business leaders continue to view the growth of global supply chains and trade as beneficial to American workers.”

Additional insights from the survey include:

• Nearly 3 out of 4 (74%) of small business leaders say access to foreign components and parts are necessary for the U.S. to be competitive.
• Nearly 90% of small business leaders now say the U.S. must do a better job of retraining its workforce to meet the needs of today’s economy.

“Retraining U.S. workers is a critical part of keeping the American economy expanding and competitive in global markets,” added Subramaniam. “FedEx is a strong supporter of continued efforts to strengthen job retraining programs throughout the United States.”

About FedEx

FedEx Corp. provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $58 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 400,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities.