The U.S distributed $2.3 trillion in exports for 2018. That is almost half of the overall foreign trade amount of $5.2 trillion. 2018 is on track to have a big year as well, despite it being a contentious time for trade. The U.S. raised tariffs on imported goods and other countries have responded by raising tariffs on American goods. Let’s take a look at the top 10 U.S. exports for 2018.
Machinery: $201.7 billion
Industrial equipment which is the biggest export, selling to manufacturing industries in other countries. This made up 13% of all exports for the U.S.
Electronic equipment: $174.2 billion
Although not as big as some of the countries in Southeast Asia, electronic equipment still made 11.3% of U.S. total exports.
Automobiles: $158 billion
The automobile industry has been on the rise for the past couple years. The auto industry jumped almost $30 billion dollars in exports.
Mineral fuels: $138 billion
Mineral fuels, including oil, made up a total of 8.9% of exports.
Aircraft (and spacecraft): $131.2 billion.
Companies like Boeing still remain a top contributor for exports.
Medical apparatuses: $83.6 billion
Being one of the leaders in medical advancement in the world optical, technical, and other medical apparatuses are in high demand.
Plastics: $61.5 billion
The U.S. exports 9.3% of all the world’s plastic.
Gems and precious metals: $60.4 billion
Gems and precious metals made up 3.9% of all U.S. exports.
Pharmaceuticals: $51 billion
Despite its controversy amongst its citizens, pharmaceuticals remain one of the largest industries for the U.S.
Organic chemicals: $36.2 billion
The U.S. is the second largest exporter of organic chemicals, losing out to Denmark in the #1 spot.
The top 10 U.S exports for 2018 are similar to 2017’s list, with 7/10 of the exports increasing revenue from last year. Some of the biggest international companies in U.S. exports include Apple, Exxon Mobil, Coca-Cola, Intel, PepsiCo, and Boeing. It appears that the tariffs on certain goods have not affected U.S exports yet. We will just have to see how these numbers will change next year after the tariffs have been in place for a full year.