Engineering and textiles helped Scottish exports grow in the three months to June, according to the Scottish Government.
Overall exports increased 3.5% in the second quarter of this year, compared with the previous quarter, according to the latest Index of Manufactured Exports.
The increase was driven by a 7.2% expansion in overseas sales of goods from engineering and allied industries, including a 25% rise in exports of transport equipment.
Exports of refined petroleum, chemical and pharmaceutical products increased by 4.2% over the quarter. There were also increases in exports of clothing, leather, wood, paper and printing products, metals and metal products.
The sales of textiles abroad – including goods like Harris Tweed – jumped 6.9%.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said: “Scotland’s manufactured exports are continuing to thrive on the international stage, showing the sustained demand for Scottish manufactured products across the world. Last week’s GDP figures show that Scotland’s economy grew 0.6% from April to June 2013, the same as in the UK over the same period. Compared with the same quarter in 2012, the Scottish economy grew by 1.8% over the year, outperforming the UK where the economy grew by 1.3%.”
On an annual basis, comparing the last four quarters with the previous four quarters, manufactured exports fell by 1.8%. Over the period, export volumes across all sectors declined, with the exception of food and drink and metals and metal products.
Neil Francis, director of international operations at Scottish Development International, the global arm of Scottish Enterprise, said: “These latest figures reinforce continued global demand for Scottish products, particularly those within the engineering, textiles, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.
“With economic recovery gaining momentum, we are seeing more and more Scottish companies look to new and emerging markets such as Asia, Middle East, Africa and South America, as well as sustaining growth in the more traditional economies.”