No. 16 Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis-St. PaulBloomington, MN-WI

$26.2 billion | + $3 billion | + 12.93 percent

Greater Minneapolis claims an impressive 19 Fortune 500 companies, led by Target, General Mills and U.S. Bancorp. How can so many top businesses be wrong? Answer: They’re probably not. According to the City of Minneapolis, the taxes levied against its businesses are 15th lowest in the nation, and more than 70 new companies are launched each week on average. The city is also home to 13 colleges offering businesses plenty of human capital, and citywide WiFi guarantees those future employees can update their Facebook accounts from their desk or anywhere in the city. —PD

No. 17 Corpus Christi, Texas

$5.6 billion | + $2.8 billion | + 100 percent

Corpus Christi is making its first appearance in the “Top Cities for Global Trade” with an exclamation point. Sure, its $5.6 billion in exports ranked 46 among the ITA’s Top 50, but it’s a pretty impressive feat when a city grows its exports by a full 100 percent. The city’s export numbers are certainly helped by its own Port of Corpus Christi, the fifth-largest in the nation, which in 2011 processed more than a combined 80.3 million tons of break bulk, chemicals and grains among other products. —PD

No. 18 Portland, Oregon

Portland-Vancouver Hillsboro, OR-WA

$20.9 billion | + $2.4 billion | + 12.97 percent

Known today for a vibrant, if somewhat defiant young population, its natural access to the Asian markets via the Port of Portland virtually ensures the Rose City’s spot among the Top 50 Metro SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2013 Global Trade 79 Areas for exports every year. Proximity to Canada doesn’t hurt either, but it’s actually Mexico that topped the city’s list of export destinations. Low energy costs and abundant natural resources help shippers, who increased exports nearly $2.5 billion in 2011 because, apparently, all the cool kids are doing it. —PD

No. 19 Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA

$17.2 billion | + $2.2 billion | + 14.67 percent

From its high-water mark of $17.2 billion of exports in 2011, Atlanta jumped again to a record $18.2 billion in 2012, a 5.5 percent increase. And it’s aiming for more. Metro Atlanta Chamber entices companies to relocate by saying it seeks to make Atlanta “the premier center for supply chain management and establish the region as the global gateway of choice.” With the Georgia Ports Authority, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and plenty of rail and trucking options the region is well on its way. —PD

No. 20 San Francisco, California

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $23.6 billion | + $2.2 billion | + 10.28 percent

Given that the Bay Area accounts for more patents than any region in the U.S., it should come as no surprise that technology consistently ranks as San Francisco’s top export sector. It follows that the city’s workforce is highly educated, recently ranked by Money magazine as the Best Educated City in the Nation. Where there’s innovation there’s venture capital, and 80 Global Trade SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2013 as San Francisco Center for Economic Development points out, “more than 33 percent of nationwide funding occurs in the Bay Area alone.” —PD