Several thousand jobs in south-west Scotland are, at least, partly supported through exports.
This was revealed in figures from Fraser of Allander Institute research commissioned by the UK Department for International Trade which is aiming to increase post-Brexit export-driven economic growth.
There are already around 6.5 million jobs nationally linked to overseas trade with more than two thousand in each of the two south-west Scotland Westminster parliamentary constituencies.
The study findings indicate export-related jobs tend to be up to 21-per-cent more productive and seven-per-cent better paid than many focused purely on the domestic market.
Efforts are being stepped up in a bid to expand UK exports worldwide, increase new jobs potential and help fuel economic recovery as the country emerges from Covid-19.
Textiles, wholesale, fishing, whisky, aquaculture, manufacturing, quarrying, service industries, financial and accountancy are amongst areas of export activity in Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (DCT) and Dumfries and Galloway (D&G) constituencies.
Alister Jack, Scottish Secretary and D&G MP, pointed out that an estimated 468,000 jobs in Scotland were currently linked to exports.
Predicting opportunities ahead in diverse sectors through global trade deals, he added: "Climate change, for example, is a crisis an outward looking UK can help tackle. The clean-energy, low carbon, innovations we develop could help the world breathe easier in the future."
David Mundell, MP for DCT, said: "I know of successful, some very long-established, exporters in the constituency but the Board of Trade, through their new report Global Britain -- Local Jobs, plan to encourage more companies to enter, or further develop, sales to overseas markets.
"I'm keen to ensure that local enterprises, seeking to expand through exporting, can take full advantage of any advice and support available from the UK Government. This would be good for jobs and the local economy."