In 2018, America’s most valuable exported products were processed petroleum oils, cars, crude oil, automobile parts or accessories, integrated circuits and microassemblies, phone system devices including smartphones, electro-medical equipment (e.g. xrays), petroleum gases, computers including optical readers then blood fractions including antisera.
Overall the United States shipped $1.666 trillion worth of goods around the globe in 2018. That amount reflects a 7.7% uptick from 2017 to 2018 and a 2.9% gain since 2014.
In addition, America furnished an estimated $828.4 billion worth of international services during 2018 encompassing about $808.2 billion from commercial services.
Given America’s population of 329.3 million people, its total $1.666 trillion in 2018 export revenue translates to roughly $5,100 for every U.S. resident.
United States Top 10 Exports
Top 10
The following export product groups categorize the highest dollar value in American global shipments during 2018. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from the United States.
- Machinery including computers: US$213.1 billion (12.8% of total exports)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $189.9 billion (11.4%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $176.1 billion (10.6%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $139.1 billion (8.4%)
- Vehicles: $130.6 billion (7.8%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $89.6 billion (5.4%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $66.5 billion (4%)
- Gems, precious metals: $63.8 billion (3.8%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $48.4 billion (2.9%)
- Organic chemicals: $40.2 billion (2.4%)
America’s top 10 exports accounted for over two-thirds (69.5%) of the overall value of its global shipments.
Among the top 10 export categories year over year, mineral fuels including oil was the fastest-growing US shipment via its 36.6% value gain from 2017 to 2018.
In second place for improving export sales were organic chemicals which rose 10.7%.
America’s exported pharmaceuticals appreciated by 7.7% year over year.
Vehicles (up 0.3%) then electrical machinery and equipment (up 0.9%) posted the most modest increases.
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section Searchable List of America’s Most Valuable Export Products further down near the bottom of this article.
Advantages
The following types of American product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Aircraft, spacecraft: US$107.3 billion (Up by 7.1% since 2017)
- Oil seeds: $19.9 billion (Down by -16.6%)
- Cereals: $18.3 billion (Up by 13.7%)
- Other chemical goods: $15.1 billion (Up by 9.1%)
- Meat: $8.8 billion (Up by 7.4%)
- Food industry waste, animal fodder: $7.9 billion (Up by 19.6%)
- Cotton: $7.4 billion (Up by 11%)
- Woodpulp: $5.5 billion (Up by 1.4%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $4.6 billion (Down by -34.4%)
- Ores, slag, ash: $3.6 billion (Up by 10.8%)
United States has highly positive net exports in the international trade of aircraft launching gear and other on-deck landing equipment. In turn, these cashflows indicate America’s strong competitive advantages under the aerospace-related products category.
Opportunities
Overall the US compiled a -$950.2 billion trade deficit for 2018, expanding by 10.2% from the -$862.2 billion deficit for all products one year earlier during 2017.
Below are exports from the United States that are negative net exports or product trade balance deficits for 2018. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on American goods trail U.S. importer spending on foreign products.
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -US$191 billion (Up by 4.8% since 2017)
- Vehicles: -$176.1 billion (Up by 7.1%)
- Machinery including computers: -$173.3 billion (Up by 17.9%)
- Pharmaceuticals: -$68 billion (Up by 31.6%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: -$61.3 billion (Up by 8.7%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: -$51.4 billion (Down by -20.8%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: -$44.9 billion (Up by 4.1%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): -$36.7 billion (Up by 3.2%)
- Toys, games: -$27.7 billion (Up by 7.2%)
- Footwear: -$26 billion (Up by 3.3%)
United States has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for electronics-related equipment, notably consumer electronics.
The resulting cashflow deficiency clearly exemplifies US competitive disadvantages in the international electronics market, but also represents a key opportunity for United States to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations and creative employment initiatives in the homeland.
Companies
American Export Companies
Wikipedia lists many of the larger international trade players from the United States:
- Apple (computer hardware)
- Exxon Mobil (oil, gas)
- Johnson & Johnson (medical equipment, supplies)
- Chevron Corporation (oil, gas)
- Procter & Gamble (household, personal care items)
- Pfizer (pharmaceuticals)
- The Coca-Cola Company (beverages)
- Merck & Co (pharmaceuticals)
- Qualcomm (semiconductors)
- Philip Morris International (tobacco)
- Intel (semiconductors)
- Schlumberger (oil, gas)
- PepsiCo (beverages)
- Cisco Systems (communications equipment)
- Boeing (aerospace)
- ConocoPhillips (oil, gas)
- AbbVie (pharmaceuticals)
- Occidental Petroleum (oil, gas)
- Eli Lilly and Company (pharmaceuticals)
Searchable List of America’s Most Valuable Export Products
At the more granular four-digit HTS code level, America’s top export products are refined petroleum oils followed by cars then automotive parts and accessories.
The following searchable table displays 200 of the most in-demand goods shipped from the United States during 2018. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2017.
| Rank | US Export Product | 2018 Value (US$) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Processed petroleum oils | $94.2 billion | +21.2% |
| 2 | Cars | $51.4 billion | -3.8% |
| 3 | Crude oil | $47.2 billion | +108.9% |
| 4 | Automobile parts/accessories | $45.5 billion | +0.8% |
| 5 | Integrated circuits/microassemblies | $37.7 billion | -1.1% |
| 6 | Phone system devices | $32.4 billion | -4.7% |
| 7 | Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays) | $28.5 billion | +7.4% |
| 8 | Petroleum gases | $28.4 billion | +26% |
| 9 | Computers, optical readers | $26.7 billion | +5% |
| 10 | Blood fractions (including antisera) | $23.2 billion | +14.3% |
| 11 | Medication mixes in dosage | $20.6 billion | +3% |
| 12 | Gold (unwrought) | $20.3 billion | +2.4% |
| 13 | Diamonds (unmounted/unset) | $20 billion | +6.2% |
| 14 | Computer parts, accessories | $18.3 billion | +14.1% |
| 15 | Machinery for making semi-conductors | $18.2 billion | +3.9% |
| 16 | Soya beans | $17.2 billion | -20.1% |
| 17 | Trucks | $15.5 billion | -0.8% |
| 18 | Corn | $12.9 billion | +35.2% |
| 19 | Taps, valves, similar appliances | $12.4 billion | +6.6% |
| 20 | Coal, solid fuels made from coal | $12 billion | +21.7% |
| 21 | Hand-drawn paintings, drawings | $11.2 billion | +27.3% |
| 22 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $11 billion | +5.6% |
| 23 | Insulated wire/cable | $10.3 billion | +4.2% |
| 24 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $10.3 billion | +11% |
| 25 | Ethylene polymers | $10.1 billion | +26.8% |
| 26 | Orthopedic appliances | $10.1 billion | +6.1% |
| 27 | Jewelry | $9.9 billion | -3.5% |
| 28 | Physical/chemical analysis tools | $9.2 billion | +7.8% |
| 29 | Turbo-jets | $8.8 billion | -8.3% |
| 30 | Liquid pumps and elevators | $8.6 billion | +6.5% |
| 31 | Miscellaneous nuts | $7.8 billion | -1.4% |
| 32 | Engines (diesel) | $7.7 billion | +19.2% |
| 33 | Solar power diodes/semi-conductors | $7.6 billion | +6% |
| 34 | Miscellaneous machinery | $7.5 billion | +2.3% |
| 35 | Other diagnostic/lab reagents | $7.2 billion | +10% |
| 36 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $7.2 billion | +5.9% |
| 37 | Air or vacuum pumps | $6.9 billion | -1% |
| 38 | Piston engines | $6.9 billion | -1.5% |
| 39 | Machinery parts | $6.8 billion | +13.9% |
| 40 | Cotton (uncarded, uncombed) | $6.6 billion | +12.6% |
| 41 | Piston engine parts | $6.3 billion | +1% |
| 42 | Electrical converters/power units | $6.3 billion | +4.9% |
| 43 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $6.1 billion | +4.7% |
| 44 | Other measuring/testing machines | $6 billion | +11.5% |
| 45 | Transmission shafts, gears, clutches | $6 billion | +3.4% |
| 46 | Aircraft parts | $6 billion | +6.3% |
| 47 | Other food preparations | $5.9 billion | +5.4% |
| 48 | Iron or steel scrap | $5.9 billion | +21.2% |
| 49 | Tractors | $5.8 billion | +26% |
| 50 | Polyacetal/ether/carbonates | $5.8 billion | +4.8% |
| 51 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $5.8 billion | +8.7% |
| 52 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $5.5 billion | +5.7% |
| 53 | Wheat | $5.4 billion | -10.8% |
| 54 | Petroleum oil residues | $5.4 billion | +33% |
| 55 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $5.4 billion | +0.3% |
| 56 | Oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers | $5.4 billion | +10.5% |
| 57 | Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers) | $5.1 billion | +14.6% |
| 58 | Printing machinery | $5.1 billion | +0% |
| 59 | Rubber tires (new) | $5.1 billion | +9.2% |
| 60 | Chemical woodpulp (non-dissolving) | $4.9 billion | +11.9% |
| 61 | Electrical machinery | $4.9 billion | +2.8% |
| 62 | Initiators/accelerators, catalytic preps | $4.9 billion | +9.7% |
| 63 | Unrecorded sound media | $4.9 billion | +12.5% |
| 64 | Chemical industry products/residuals | $4.9 billion | +11.2% |
| 65 | Electric circuit parts, fuses, switches | $4.8 billion | +5.7% |
| 66 | Cyclic hydrocarbons | $4.6 billion | +10.5% |
| 67 | Swine meat | $4.6 billion | +0.3% |
| 68 | TV receivers/monitors/projectors | $4.6 billion | -5.1% |
| 69 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $4.4 billion | +11.2% |
| 70 | Iron and steel screws, bolts, nuts, washers | $4.3 billion | +0.5% |
| 71 | X-ray equipment | $4.3 billion | +1.6% |
| 72 | Precious metal waste, scrap | $4.3 billion | +16.9% |
| 73 | Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs) | $4.2 billion | -4.4% |
| 74 | Packaged insecticides/fungicides/herbicides | $4.2 billion | +8.7% |
| 75 | Trailers | $4.1 billion | +15.9% |
| 76 | Uncoated kraft paper | $4.1 billion | +21.1% |
| 77 | Bombs, grenades, ammunition | $4.1 billion | -0.1% |
| 78 | Soya-bean oil-cake, other solid residues | $4.1 billion | +31.2% |
| 79 | Electric motors, generators | $4 billion | -0.9% |
| 80 | Temperature-change machines | $4 billion | +3.2% |
| 81 | Vinyl chloride polymers | $3.9 billion | +6% |
| 82 | Aluminum plates, sheets, strips | $3.7 billion | +5.4% |
| 83 | Electric storage batteries | $3.7 billion | +10% |
| 84 | Liquid/gas checking instruments | $3.7 billion | +6.8% |
| 85 | Propylene/olefin polymers | $3.7 billion | +5.8% |
| 86 | Fresh or chilled beef | $3.7 billion | +8.4% |
| 87 | Sawn wood | $3.7 billion | -3.6% |
| 88 | Poultry meat | $3.6 billion | -0.1% |
| 89 | Frozen beef | $3.6 billion | +27.6% |
| 90 | Platinum (unwrought) | $3.6 billion | +44.5% |
| 91 | Regulate/control instruments | $3.6 billion | +1.2% |
| 92 | Optical fiber cables, sheets, plates | $3.4 billion | +7% |
| 93 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $3.4 billion | -0.2% |
| 94 | Harvest/threshing machinery | $3.4 billion | +4.9% |
| 95 | Acyclic hydrocarbons | $3.4 billion | +32.5% |
| 96 | Liquid crystal/laser/optical tools | $3.4 billion | +6.5% |
| 97 | Ethers | $3.3 billion | +9.2% |
| 98 | TV receiver/transmit/digital cameras | $3.3 billion | -8.5% |
| 99 | Paper/paperboard waste, scrap | $3.3 billion | +3.8% |
| 100 | Beet-pulp, brew/distilling waste | $3.3 billion | +25.1% |
| 101 | Copper waste, scrap | $3.2 billion | +15.2% |
| 102 | Miscellaneous engines, motors | $3.2 billion | +12% |
| 103 | Miscellaneous animal feed preparations | $3.1 billion | +4.8% |
| 104 | TV/radio/radar device parts | $3.1 billion | -1% |
| 105 | Plastic tubes, pipes, fittings | $3.1 billion | +13.5% |
| 106 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $3 billion | +8.1% |
| 107 | Anti-knock/oxidation/gum inhibitors | $3 billion | +9.6% |
| 108 | Miscellaneous furniture | $3 billion | +2.1% |
| 109 | Acyclic alcohols | $2.9 billion | +32.2% |
| 110 | Hormones, miscellaneous steroids | $2.9 billion | -7.5% |
| 111 | Table games, bowling equipment | $2.9 billion | -6.1% |
| 112 | Radar, radio communication items | $2.8 billion | +3.6% |
| 113 | Base metal mountings, fittings | $2.8 billion | +6.9% |
| 114 | Vulcanized rubber items | $2.8 billion | +1.3% |
| 115 | Ethyl alcohol | $2.8 billion | +13.4% |
| 116 | Self-adhesive plastic in rolls | $2.8 billion | -1.6% |
| 117 | Electrical lighting/signaling equpment, defrosters | $2.7 billion | +2% |
| 118 | Refrigerators, freezers | $2.7 billion | +1% |
| 119 | Synthetic rubber | $2.7 billion | -0.5% |
| 120 | Polyamides | $2.7 billion | +15% |
| 121 | Spray/dispersing mechanical appliances | $2.7 billion | +2.1% |
| 122 | Microphones/headphones/amps | $2.7 billion | -4.2% |
| 123 | Air conditioners | $2.7 billion | +3.9% |
| 124 | Other machine parts, accessories | $2.5 billion | +18.7% |
| 125 | Aluminum waste, scrap | $2.5 billion | +10% |
| 126 | Ball, roller bearings | $2.4 billion | +4.8% |
| 127 | Rough wood | $2.4 billion | -0.8% |
| 128 | Cellulose fiber paper | $2.4 billion | -0.9% |
| 129 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $2.3 billion | -42.1% |
| 130 | Electric ignition/start equipment | $2.3 billion | +0.3% |
| 131 | Hydrocarbon derivatives | $2.3 billion | +13% |
| 132 | Precious/semi-precious stones (unstrung) | $2.3 billion | +8.3% |
| 133 | Fork-lift trucks | $2.3 billion | -0.6% |
| 134 | Fertilizer mixes | $2.3 billion | +2.5% |
| 135 | Heterocyclics, nucleic acids | $2.3 billion | -13.6% |
| 136 | Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs) | $2.3 billion | +9.3% |
| 137 | Printed books, brochures | $2.3 billion | -3% |
| 138 | Scents used for beverage or industrial manufacturing | $2.2 billion | +1.6% |
| 139 | Other coloring matter, luminophores | $2.1 billion | -1.8% |
| 140 | Interchangeable hand/machine tools | $2.1 billion | +5.7% |
| 141 | Electrical capacitators | $2.1 billion | +23.5% |
| 142 | Whole fish (frozen) | $2 billion | -10.4% |
| 143 | Coated paper | $2 billion | -8.4% |
| 144 | Paper containers, cellulose wadding | $2 billion | +1.7% |
| 145 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $2 billion | +2.2% |
| 146 | Sports equipment | $2 billion | -2% |
| 147 | Saturated acyclic mono acids | $2 billion | +14.1% |
| 148 | Lifting/loading machinery | $1.9 billion | +11.6% |
| 149 | Sculptures, statues | $1.9 billion | +11.4% |
| 150 | Lamps, lighting, illuminated signs | $1.9 billion | +2.6% |
| 151 | Electric sound/visual signal bells or alarms | $1.9 billion | +2.1% |
| 152 | Coated/laminated non-wovens | $1.9 billion | +2.6% |
| 153 | Acrylic polymers | $1.9 billion | +8.9% |
| 154 | Sodium/potash hydroxide, peroxide | $1.9 billion | +18.1% |
| 155 | Sutures, special pharmaceutical goods | $1.9 billion | +5.8% |
| 156 | Titanium | $1.9 billion | +5.4% |
| 157 | Copper ores, concentrates | $1.8 billion | +5.8% |
| 158 | Special purpose vehicles | $1.8 billion | +23.3% |
| 159 | Perfumes, toilet waters | $1.8 billion | +1.3% |
| 160 | Survey/hydro/weather instruments | $1.8 billion | +12.8% |
| 161 | Amino-resins | $1.8 billion | +2.9% |
| 162 | Miscellaneous preserved fruits | $1.7 billion | +11.2% |
| 163 | Sauces, mixed condiments, seasonings | $1.7 billion | -0.5% |
| 164 | Cutting-oil preparations, lubricants | $1.7 billion | +4.9% |
| 165 | Rice | $1.7 billion | -1.8% |
| 166 | Rubber/plastic article making machines | $1.7 billion | +3.4% |
| 167 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $1.7 billion | +0.4% |
| 168 | Carbonates, percarbonates | $1.7 billion | +4% |
| 169 | Iron or steel pipe fittings | $1.7 billion | +7.6% |
| 170 | Yachts, other pleasure/sports vessels | $1.6 billion | +5.3% |
| 171 | Glass mirrors | $1.6 billion | -0.4% |
| 172 | Printed circuits | $1.6 billion | -8.8% |
| 173 | Nitrile-function compounds | $1.6 billion | +71.4% |
| 174 | Mechano-therapy appliances | $1.6 billion | +1.3% |
| 175 | Refined copper, unwrought alloys | $1.5 billion | +65.6% |
| 176 | Zinc ores, concentrates | $1.5 billion | +3.8% |
| 177 | Prepared adhesives, glues | $1.5 billion | +0.8% |
| 178 | Hydrogen, rare gases | $1.5 billion | -28.8% |
| 179 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $1.5 billion | +6% |
| 180 | Concentrated/sweetened milk, cream | $1.5 billion | +9.6% |
| 181 | Aluminum (unwrought) | $1.5 billion | +30.1% |
| 182 | Miscellaneous iron or steel tubes, pipes | $1.5 billion | -2.2% |
| 183 | Railway/tram locomotives, rolling stock | $1.5 billion | +12.6% |
| 184 | Armored vehicles, tanks | $1.5 billion | -16.5% |
| 185 | Cheese, curd | $1.5 billion | +1.2% |
| 186 | Amine-function compounds | $1.5 billion | +21% |
| 187 | Paint/varnish non-aqueous solution | $1.5 billion | +6% |
| 188 | Wine | $1.4 billion | -2.3% |
| 189 | Styrene polymers | $1.4 billion | +1.7% |
| 190 | Medication mixes not in dosage | $1.4 billion | -12.1% |
| 191 | Hair preparations | $1.4 billion | +4.9% |
| 192 | Hay, alfalfa, clover | $1.4 billion | -3.7% |
| 193 | Electric generating sets, converters | $1.4 billion | +11% |
| 194 | Stone/other mineral substance items | $1.4 billion | +8% |
| 195 | Pneumatic hand tool | $1.4 billion | +3.8% |
| 196 | Red meat offal | $1.4 billion | -13% |
| 197 | Electric motor parts | $1.4 billion | +9.1% |
| 198 | Telecommunication receivers | $1.4 billion | -4.3% |
| 199 | Fish fillets, pieces | $1.4 billion | +8.5% |
| 200 | Move/grade/scrape/boring machinery | $1.4 billion | +51.1% |
These 200 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$1.218 trillion or almost three-quarters (73.2%) by value for all products exported from the US during 2018.
The latest available country-specific data shows that 68.3% of products exported from America were bought by importers in: Canada (18% of the global total), Mexico (15.9%), China (7.2%), Japan (4.5%), United Kingdom (4%), Germany (3.5%), South Korea (3.4%), Netherlands (2.9%), Brazil (2.4%), France (2.3%), Hong Kong (2.2%) and India (2%).
From a continental perspective, about a third (33.9%) of US exports by value for 2018 were delivered to fellow North American countries while 31.4% were sold to importers in Asia. America shipped another 21.6% worth of goods to Europe. Smaller percentages went to Latin America (9.7%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Oceania (1.8%) led by Australia and New Zealand, and Africa (1.6%).
In macroeconomic terms, United States’ total exported goods represent 8.1% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2018 ($20.494 trillion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 8.1% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2018 compares to 9.5% for 2014, seeming to indicate a relatively decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for America’s total economic performance. And while this article focuses on exported goods, it is interesting to note that the United States also provided $828.4 billion worth of exports-related services to global customers for an additional 4% of GDP in PPP.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its jobless rate. America’s unemployment rate was 3.5% at November 2019, down from 3.7% as in October 2018 as reported by Trading Economics.
See also United States Top 10 Imports, America’s Top Trading Partners, Top United States Trade Balances and America’s Top 20 Export States and United States Top 10 Major Export Companies
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on January 14, 2020
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on January 14, 2020
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 14, 2020
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on January 14, 2020
Richest Country Reports, Key Statistics Powering Global Wealth. Accessed on December 15, 2019
Wikipedia, List of Companies of United States. Accessed on January 14, 2020