HiSTEP Benefits

Why Hawai’i Companies Should Export

  • Hawaiʻi is a small market, so growth is limited if businesses sell only locally
  • 95% of world’s consumers are outside of the U.S.
  • Exporting can help diversify the client base and grow Hawaiʻi companies

To demonstrate the scale of export activity in Hawaiʻi, here is the updated total Economic Impact of Exports for 2022 (not including tourism) – for each billion dollars of exports:

  • Sales generated = $1.64 billion
  • Household income generated = $400 million
  • State taxes generated = $70 million
  • Jobs (generated + retained) = 8,100

Success metrics for HiSTEP and our Hawaiʻi-based companies using HiSTEP include, but are not limited to:

  • Total growth in overall export activity
  • Increased export revenue
  • Activation of more Hawai‘i-based companies
  • Entering new overseas markets 

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Funded in part through a Grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration