PORTLAND – Maine exported $2.43 billion worth of paper, semiconductors, lobsters and other goods last year, setting a new record for the value of goods shipped overseas.

“In an era where Maine is ranked 49th or 50th in so many areas of economic performance, exports stand out as a bright spot in the Maine economy,” said Richard Coyle, president of the Maine International Trade Center, which provided the figures.

Coupled with record levels of inquiries into the trade center, record participation in seminars and trade missions, the new export figures suggest that international business has momentum in Maine, Coyle added.

“We can’t sit back and rest on past successes,” Coyle said. “This is something that needs to be nurtured, grown, supported, and is yielding dividends for the Maine economy.”

The numbers represent a 36.7 percent increase from 2000, when Maine exported $1.78 billion in goods worldwide. It also was a jump from 2003, when the state sent goods worth $2.19 billion overseas.

Contributing to the totals are a pair of oil rigs that Maine construction firm Cianbro Corp. built for Brazil and shipped out of Portland Harbor in 2004. The rigs added about $254 million to the export totals and put Brazil among the top 10 buyers of Maine goods.

Maine’s top trading partner last year was Canada, where exports from Maine decreased by 1.4 percent between 2000 and 2004, from $838.9 million to $827.1 million. Most of Maine’s Canadian exports included pulp and paper, lumber and seafood.

The No. 2 export market in 2004 was Malaysia, largely because of semiconductors shipped from South Portland. Maine sent $338.6 million in goods to Malaysia; $328.5 million of the total was semiconductors.

Other top exports included pulp and paper at $437.6 million, lumber and wood products at $286 million, seafood at $200.7 million and ships and floating structures at $256.8 million.