The report was prepared by the LA County Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit group that tracks economic trends across the Southland and then tries to incorporate those trends into programs that stimulate more business. The report says two-way trade between the five-county Los Angeles Customs District and foreign nations will grow to $236.5 billion in 2001, a modest 2.8% gain from last year.

In 2000, trade jumped a staggering 16.7%. LAEDC chief economist Jack Kyser says the lower forecast for this year is the result of several factors, including a sluggish global economy, political problems in several Asian countries, and a strong US dollar that's cutting the purchasing power of consumers and businesses overseas.

Investors in industrial property tend to be affected the most by changes in foreign trade, Kyser and other experts tell GlobeSt.com. That's because US manufacturers need space to make their goods, while importers and exporters alike need millions of square feet to warehouse their products before they're distributed.