WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama set a national goal on Wednesday of doubling U.S. exports over the next five years to help create American jobs, and promised to push for a successful conclusion of world trade talks.
"So tonight, we set a new goal: We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million jobs in America," Obama said in the text of his first State of the Union speech to Congress,
Obama said he also wanted closer trade ties with Panama, Colombia and South Korea. But he stopped short of urging lawmakers to approve free trade pacts with those countries.
(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Stacey Joyce)