Domestically, Kansas is not a major commercial state. In 1997, Kansas had a total of 5,965 wholesale establishments with sales of $44 billion. The retail sales of 16,629 stores totaled $23 billion. Automotive dealers and service stations accounted for 15% of all retail establishments; food stores, 9%; and eating and drinking places, 29%. Food sales totaled $4.2 billion, while general merchandise sales reached $3.5 billion. In both agricultural and manufactured exports, Kansas plays an important role in US foreign trade. Exports of goods from Kansas totaled $4 billion in 1998. Exports were $4.8 billion in 1999, increasing at a rate five times the national rate. Most exports went to Japan, Canada, Mexico, and the UK.