A national study cited Portland as a hotbed for exports, bolstered by China and Intel.

Metro Portland ranked third among the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas in terms of the share -- 18.2 percent -- that exports made up of the metro area's economy in 2010. The Portland area also ranked third in export growth from 2003 to 2008, and fifth for the same indicator from 2009 to 2010. 

Exports are especially significant these days because many foreign markets outperform the U.S. economy, giving internationally connected cities a way to boost sales and create jobs. The Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C., think tank that conducted the "Export Nation 2012" study for release Thursday, calculated that exports of goods and services directly supported more than 70,000 Portland-area jobs in 2010. 

The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro area is one of four metro areas in the country chosen for a pilot project to double exports in five years in a program with Brookings advice. Adding $21 billion in foreign sales could create more than 100,000 jobs, according to Greater Portland Inc., the Portland-Vancouver development organization coordinating the effort.

Read more at OregonLive.com.