North Carolina had 14,502 wholesale establishments in 1997 with sales of over $103 billion. Wholesaling is concentrated in the Piedmont Crescent. Retail sales by 46,815 establishments in 1997 totaled $75 billion (ranked 5th in the state in terms of sales growth from 1992 to 1997, at 50%). The leading type of retail sales establishments in 1997 were automotive dealers, 15%; food stores, 11%; and eating and drinking places, 26%. Food sales came to $14 billion, while general merchandise sales amounted to $8.9 billion.
The state ports at Wilmington and Morehead City handle a growing volume of international trade. In 1998, North Carolina exported over $15.7 billion worth of its goods to foreign markets (10th in the US).