America's biggest exports ranked
Tom Belger
20 July 2018
Global goods that make big bucks abroad
From car parts to wine, America shipped a staggering $1.55 trillion of goods around the globe last year. We take a look at the biggest money-making sectors, thanks to figures from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Nuclear fuel and electric energy: $1.35 billion
The USA is the world’s largest producer of nuclear power, exporting $1.35 billion of nuclear fuel and electric energy last year. The industry sprung up in the late 1950s, and the first reactors opened in 1969. Today 99 nuclear reactors are in use across 30 different states, with most to the east of the Mississippi River.
Textile supplies: $1.58 billion
Textiles were once the powerhouse of many southern US states, but cheaper labour overseas and automation have wiped out hundreds of thousands of jobs since. Yet the sector is still far bigger than many imagine, with $1.58 billion of yarns, fabrics, apparel, domestic furnishings and other textile exports last year. Promising signs include rising wages in China, growing demand for goods that can carry a “Made in the USA” label and high sales of US military uniforms.
Natural gas: $8.12 billion
Natural gas production hit an all-time high in 2015, with $8.12 billion of exports last year alone. Drilling underground through so-called “fracking” has fuelled much of the boom over the past decade, with strong demand from China as well as Mexico and Canada. States with the highest natural gas production include Texas, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Wyoming.
Fish, liquor and other food and drink: $8.54 billion
Fish, seafood and liquors are the biggest US exports in the food, feed and beverage sector (outside agriculture) which notched up $8.54 billion in sales abroad last year. Fresh and frozen lobsters, Alaskan pollock, salmon, surimi and fish roe are the most popular US fish and seafood products overseas. Sales of US spirits reached a record high last year, with companies benefiting from Donald Trump’s tax cuts and a growing taste for US whiskey in the UK, Germany and Brazil.
Coal and related products: $13.82 billion
America is one of the world’s biggest coal exporters, selling $13.82 billion abroad in 2017. India, South Korea and Japan import the most US steam coal to generate electricity, while Europe is the main buyer of metallurgical coal, used to make steel. Soaring demand has helped sales to Asia double in the past year, but coal could prove another victim of the US-China trade dispute. China announced retaliatory tariffs on American energy products last month.
Building materials: $14.81 billion
Hundreds of thousands of Americans work in this sector, producing everything from wood and glass to paint and materials for air conditioning. Iron and steel, cement and asphalt, insulation and electrical materials saw some of the highest growth in 2017, with the industry exporting $14.81 billion of goods last year. Big names include new home and home improvement manufacturer Masco, the biggest US asphalt producer Vulcan Materials and road construction specialists Martin Marietta.
Meat products and poultry: $18.84 billion
The USA is one of the world’s biggest pork, beef and poultry exporters, selling $18.84 billion to foreign customers last year.
American beef exports are expected to see the strongest growth this year, with considerable global demand. Pig farmers could be less lucky, after being caught in the middle of the US trade row with China. They shipped 309,000 tons of pork to China last year, but could be priced out of the market after China slapped tariffs on US exports.
Raw cotton, tobacco and other agriculture: $19.17 billion
Agricultural exporters sold $19.17 billion of products last year for industrial use alone. Raw cotton is one of the best performers, with the biggest sales in Asian countries including Vietnam, China, India and Pakistan. Unmanufactured tobacco grown in the USA is another big player. Producers have struggled in recent decades as even US cigarette manufacturers look to buy from cheaper suppliers overseas, but still managed $1,085,000,000 in exports last year.
Paper: $22.05 billion
The USA is the world’s third biggest paper exporter, behind Germany and China, exporting $22.05 billion of the stuff last year. Memphis, Tennessee, hosts the headquarters of one of the world’s biggest pulp and paper companies, International Paper. It was born in 1898 with the merger of 20 separate paper mills in the northeast of the USA. Today it owns millions of acres of forests in America and elsewhere, and employs around 52,000 people across the globe.
Soybeans: $22.22 billion
Soybeans first arrived in the USA almost two centuries ago from China, and farmers started growing them for soy sauce, cattle fodder and even a coffee substitute in the Civil War. By the 1960s soybeans were the country’s leading agricultural export. Last year alone saw $22.22 billion sold abroad, with China now the top buyer. US authorities expect soybean exports to reach a record high this year, despite the spat between the Chinese and US governments.
Fruit, vegetables and nuts: $25.14 billion
With US vegetable, fruit and nut exports standing at $25.14 billion in 2017, this is a key export industry for the USA. However, there are concerns for the future with consumer demand being one reason why America now imports more fruit and vegetables than it exports.
Grains and preparations: $27.57 billion
Corn makes up the largest proportion of America’s $27.57 billion grains export industry, with Mexico and Japan the top recipients.
So far in 2018, corn exports are down 8.9%, however the US has enjoyed record highs in exports of feed grains, with 114 million metric tons sold globally. Wheat is produced in almost every state and is the USA’s principal cereal grain.
Agricultural food and drink: $30.44 billion
Agricultural food and drink exports including wine and beer are worth $30.44 billion. Around 97% of US wine exports are from California, which reached $1.53 billion last year. While Japan just slapped hefty tariffs on US wines, the $553m European export market remains strong. Beer exports hit $759.8 million in 2017, ranking the US fifth for total global beer exports, behind Mexico, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Exports of US craft beer rose 3.6% last year to US$125.4 million.
Metals and similar products: $78.42 billion
America’s steel and aluminium industries have been squarely in the middle of the political agenda since Donald Trump first pledged to help revive its fortunes. The USA exports steel to more than 150 countries, though Chinese exports are seven times higher. The wider metal and non-metallic product sector is still a significant US exporter, with $78.42 billion of sales overseas last year. Other less high-profile US products include bauxite, copper, iron, precious and non-ferrous metals.
Consumable goods: $87.65 billion
American’s 7th biggest industry includes all the global brands you will have heard of. Clothing, footwear and household goods brands such as Nike, Ralph Lauren and Gap contributed $10.5 billion to the sector’s huge $87.65 billion of consumable goods exports last year.
However the biggest sales abroad, $51.2 billion, were generated by medicinal, dental, and pharmaceutical products, from world-leading giants like Pfizer.
Durable goods: $109.49 billion
From televisions to diamond rings, stereos to household furnishings, America’s durable goods exports totalled $109.49 billion in 2017. Household and kitchen appliances made up a large proportion of this. Household goods manufacturing giants like Whirlpool Corp. continued to increase their presence across the globe last year, and will shortly be opening their first KitchenAid flagship store in Hong Kong, widening the Asian export market for this iconic kitchen must-have.
Chemicals: $112.02 billion
Major companies including Dow Chemical, Lyondell Basell and Praxair have helped make the USA one of the biggest chemical producers on the planet. America exported $112.02 billion of chemicals such as plastics and fertilizers last year, mainly to Mexico, Canada, China and the Asia-Pacific region. While employment has fallen since the 1990s, the sector is still thought to provide around 810,000 jobs.
Planes and aircraft parts: $120.99 billion
The USA dominates global aircraft manufacturing. Many planes and parts are made in Seattle, but New York, Honolulu and Miami are also hubs. The success of companies like Boeing and government support for the sector make aircraft the fourth biggest US export. US exports of civilian aircraft, engines and parts totalled $120.99 billion in 2017.
Petroleum: $137.46 billion
Exporting petroleum is big business in America, accounting for $137.46 billion of exports last year. The USA saw a steep 328% increase in the value of its crude oil shipments between 2013 and 2017, ranking it 13th in the world for crude oil exports today. Asia is a key market, with Japan, China, South Korea, and Singapore accounting for four of the top five countries importing liquified petroleum gas. Read our feature on the world's biggest oil producers here.
Cars, car parts and engines: $157.64 billion
America’s second biggest export industry sold $157.64 billion of vehicles, parts and engines last year with Canada remaining the biggest recipient of America’s global automotive exports. Ford remains one of America’s most famous and iconic car manufacturers, but thanks to globalisation, many American cars are actually made by foreign firms and only partly in US plants. Four out of the 10 most American-made vehicles of 2018 actually belonged to Japanese brand Honda. Revealed: the world's biggest car manufacturers.
Machinery and equipment: $407.36 billion
Machinery and equipment sales are by far America’s biggest export industry. American manufacturers sold a gigantic $407.36 billion of technical equipment for commercial use overseas last year. Read more: From cannabis to ice: surprising things countries make money from.
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