What Does the United States Export?

When people think about American exports, they often think about soybeans, corn, wheat and oil. These are important, but they represent only part of America's export economy.

The United States exports a much wider range of products, including computers, semiconductors, aircraft, aircraft engines, medical equipment, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, petroleum products, natural gas, metals, chemicals, food and agricultural commodities.

The U.S. Census Bureau divides merchandise exports into major end-use categories such as foods, feeds and beverages; industrial supplies and materials; capital goods; automotive vehicles; consumer goods; and other goods. Petroleum and petroleum products are included within the industrial-supplies category.

For this five-year comparison, all total figures below use the Census Bureau's Census-basis goods-export data, so the years can be compared consistently.

PART 1 — U.S. Exports in 2021

Total U.S. Goods Exports: $1.754 Trillion

In 2021, the United States exported approximately $1.754 trillion worth of goods.

The largest broad export category was industrial supplies and materials, followed by capital goods. America also exported large amounts of food and agricultural products, automobiles and consumer goods.

2021 Export Categories

Total Goods Exports: $1,754.3B
Industrial Supplies & Materials: $636.9B
Capital Goods: $520.6B
Consumer Goods: $222.2B
Foods, Feeds & Beverages: $164.7B
Automotive Vehicles, Parts & Engines: $144.1B
Other Goods: $65.8B

Major Products Exported in 2021

Agriculture & Food

Soybeans: $28.55B
Corn: $19.77B
Wheat: $7.42B
Rice: $2.05B
Meat, poultry and related products: $25.06B
Animal feeds: $10.91B
Nuts: $9.63B
Vegetables: $7.19B
Dairy products and eggs: $6.51B
Fish and shellfish: $5.43B

Energy & Industrial Materials

Crude oil: $69.27B
Other petroleum products: $64.19B
Fuel oil: $32.02B
Natural gas: $40.11B
Nonmonetary gold: $30.95B
Plastic materials: $44.10B
Organic chemicals: $33.99B
Finished metal shapes: $22.16B
Cotton: $5.70B

Technology, Machinery & Aerospace

Semiconductors: $66.32B
Other industrial machinery: $68.45B
Electric apparatus: $42.88B
Civilian aircraft engines: $37.60B
Medical equipment: $39.85B
Computer accessories: $29.11B
Telecommunications equipment: $32.60B
Civilian aircraft: $24.25B

Automotive

Passenger cars: $53.92B
Other automotive parts and accessories: $47.36B
Trucks, buses and special-purpose vehicles: $21.14B
Engines and engine parts: $18.55B

Consumer Products

Pharmaceutical preparations: $83.21B
Gem diamonds: $16.70B
Cell phones and household goods: $30.29B
Jewelry: $9.25B
Toiletries and cosmetics: $13.27B
Toys, games and sporting goods: $10.90B

These figures show that even in 2021, American exports were already heavily diversified rather than being dependent on agriculture alone.

✦

[ advertisement ]

PART 2 — U.S. Exports in 2022

Total U.S. Goods Exports: $2.065 Trillion

2022 was the biggest percentage-growth year in this five-year period.

U.S. goods exports increased from $1.754T in 2021 to $2.065T in 2022, an increase of approximately 17.7%.

The major reason was the sharp rise in the value of industrial supplies and materials, including energy and petroleum products.

2021 → 2022 Comparison

Total Goods: $1,754.3B → $2,064.8B = +17.7%
Industrial Supplies: $636.9B → $827.8B = +30.0%
Capital Goods: $520.6B → $571.6B = +9.8%
Consumer Goods: $222.2B → $246.4B = +10.9%
Automotive: $144.1B → $158.4B = +9.9%
Food, Feeds & Beverages: $164.7B → $180.0B = +9.3%
Other Goods: $65.8B → $80.6B = +22.5%

Major 2022 Export Products

Agriculture & Food

Soybeans: $35.57B
Corn: $19.82B
Wheat: $8.68B
Rice: $1.83B
Meat, poultry, etc.: $26.51B
Animal feeds: $12.42B
Nuts: $9.68B
Vegetables: $7.47B
Dairy & eggs: $7.93B
Fish & shellfish: $5.62B

Energy

Crude oil: $116.78B
Other petroleum products: $91.02B
Fuel oil: $60.14B
Natural gas: $62.99B
Natural gas liquids: $37.71B
Nonmonetary gold: $40.08B

Industrial Materials

Plastic materials: $50.30B
Organic chemicals: $39.86B
Other chemicals: $41.93B
Finished metal shapes: $25.22B
Cotton, raw: $9.05B
Metallurgical-grade coal: $13.34B

Technology & Capital Goods

Semiconductors: $66.46B
Other industrial machinery: $73.91B
Electric apparatus: $49.07B
Civilian aircraft engines: $44.83B
Medical equipment: $42.86B
Computer accessories: $31.52B
Telecommunications equipment: $34.61B
Civilian aircraft: $28.98B

Automotive

Passenger cars: $56.50B
Other automotive parts: $54.39B
Trucks, buses and special-purpose vehicles: $24.17B
Engines and engine parts: $19.99B

Consumer Goods

Pharmaceuticals: $90.24B
Gem diamonds: $20.72B
Cell phones and household goods: $31.80B
Jewelry: $11.89B
Toiletries and cosmetics: $14.28B
Toys, games and sporting goods: $12.30B

Why Was 2022 So Strong?

The biggest story was energy and industrial materials.

Industrial-supplies exports jumped about 30%, with crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas and other materials contributing heavily to the increase.

So 2022 was not simply an agricultural-export boom. It was a broad increase in the dollar value of U.S. merchandise exports.

PART 3 — U.S. Exports in 2023

Total U.S. Goods Exports: $2.020 Trillion

After the huge increase in 2022, U.S. goods exports declined in 2023.

Exports fell from $2.065T to $2.020T, a decline of approximately 2.1%.

2022 → 2023 Comparison

Total Goods: $2,064.8B → $2,020.5B = −2.1%
Industrial Supplies: $827.8B → $732.1B = −11.6%
Food, Feeds & Beverages: $180.0B → $161.7B = −10.2%
Capital Goods: $571.6B → $602.4B = +5.4%
Automotive: $158.4B → $180.0B = +13.7%
Consumer Goods: $246.4B → $259.4B = +5.3%
Other Goods: $80.6B → $84.8B = +5.2%

Major 2023 Export Products

Agriculture & Food

Soybeans: about $29B
Corn: about $14B
Wheat: about $6.25B
Rice: about $2.19B
Meat, poultry and related products: about $24–25B
Nuts: about $9.7B
Animal feeds: about $12.5B
Dairy and eggs: about $6.6B

Energy & Industrial Materials

Crude oil: about $119.36B
Other petroleum products: about $79.64B
Fuel oil: about $48.29B
Natural gas: about $41.34B
Nonmonetary gold: about $29.32B
Natural gas liquids: about $31.27B
Plastic materials: about $44.76B
Organic chemicals: about $39.47B

Capital Goods & Technology

Semiconductors: $57.01B
Civilian aircraft engines: $54.03B
Computer accessories: $29.14B
Computers: $19.83B
Electric apparatus: $53.37B
Other industrial machinery: $68.90B
Medical equipment: $46.40B
Telecommunications equipment: $39.20B

Automotive

Passenger cars: $62.19B
Other automotive parts: $63.08B
Trucks, buses and special-purpose vehicles: $29.96B
Engines and engine parts: $21.36B

Consumer Goods

Pharmaceuticals: $100.88B
Gem diamonds: $20.72B
Cell phones and household goods: $33.17B
Jewelry: $14.46B
Toiletries and cosmetics: $15.04B
Toys, games and sporting goods: $10.87B

The key point in 2023 was that energy and industrial-supply exports fell sharply, while capital goods and automotive exports continued to grow.

✦

[ advertisement ]

PART 4 — U.S. Exports in 2024

Total U.S. Goods Exports: $2.062 Trillion

2024 brought the U.S. export economy back into growth.

Goods exports increased from $2.020T in 2023 to $2.062T in 2024, an increase of about 2.0%.

2023 → 2024 Comparison

Total Goods: $2,020.5B → $2,061.7B = +2.0%
Food, Feeds & Beverages: $161.7B → $165.8B = +2.5%
Industrial Supplies: $732.1B → $727.9B = −0.6%
Capital Goods: $602.4B → $646.4B = +7.3%
Automotive: $180.0B → $172.2B = −4.3%
Consumer Goods: $259.4B → $260.1B = +0.3%
Other Goods: $84.8B → $89.3B = +5.4%

Major 2024 Export Products

Agriculture & Food

Soybeans: $25.79B
Corn: $14.85B
Wheat: $6.02B
Rice: $2.62B
Meat, poultry, etc.: $26.01B
Nuts: $10.80B
Animal feeds: $11.72B
Vegetables: $8.67B
Dairy & eggs: $6.78B
Fish & shellfish: $5.06B

Energy & Industrial Materials

Crude oil: $118.52B
Other petroleum products: $77.38B
Fuel oil: $49.69B
Natural gas: $34.29B
Natural gas liquids: $34.82B
Nonmonetary gold: $34.22B
Plastic materials: $45.87B
Organic chemicals: $31.46B

Technology & Capital Goods

Other industrial machinery: $71.11B
Civilian aircraft engines: $63.14B
Semiconductors: $64.95B
Electric apparatus: $57.02B
Telecommunications equipment: $41.21B
Computer accessories: $40.43B
Medical equipment: $46.01B
Civilian aircraft: $33.72B

Automotive

Passenger cars: $59.41B
Other automotive parts: $59.41B
Trucks, buses and special-purpose vehicles: $27.80B
Engines and engine parts: $22.20B

Consumer Goods

Pharmaceutical preparations: $107.61B
Cell phones and household goods: $33.54B
Gem diamonds: $16.01B
Jewelry: $13.63B
Toiletries and cosmetics: $15.48B
Toys, games and sporting goods: $10.79B

What Changed in 2024?

The biggest positive story was capital goods.

Capital-goods exports increased by roughly $44 billion, with strong growth in computer accessories, civilian aircraft engines, computers and semiconductors. At the same time, automotive exports declined.

PART 5 — U.S. Exports in 2025

Record Year: $2.185 Trillion

2025 became the highest year in this five-year period for U.S. goods exports.

U.S. goods exports increased from $2.062T in 2024 to approximately $2.185T in 2025, an increase of about 6.0%.

2024 → 2025 Comparison

Total Goods: $2,061.7B → $2,185.2B = +6.0%
Food, Feeds & Beverages: $165.8B → $161.0B = −2.9%
Industrial Supplies: $727.9B → $783.7B = +7.7%
Capital Goods: $646.4B → $710.3B = +9.9%
Automotive: $172.2B → $155.4B = −9.8%
Consumer Goods: $260.1B → $269.2B = +3.5%
Other Goods: $89.3B → $105.8B = +18.4%

Major 2025 Export Products

Agriculture & Food

Soybeans: $17.51B
Corn: $19.45B
Wheat: $6.49B
Rice: $2.03B
Meat, poultry, etc.: $25.10B
Nuts: $11.94B
Animal feeds: $11.33B
Fruits and frozen juices: $9.26B
Dairy products and eggs: $7.84B
Vegetables: $7.61B

The USDA's agricultural dataset gives different commodity totals because it uses its own agricultural-trade classification. For example, USDA reports 2025 corn exports at $18.55B and soybeans at about $16.2B. Therefore, the Census and USDA numbers should not be mixed in the same comparison table without explaining the methodology.

Energy & Industrial Materials

Nonmonetary gold: $83.90B
Crude oil: $99.69B
Other petroleum products: $73.82B
Natural gas: $53.61B
Fuel oil: $45.02B
Finished metal shapes: $46.41B
Natural gas liquids: $35.79B
Plastic materials: $43.68B
Other chemicals: $38.94B
Precious metals, other: $20.63B

Technology, Machinery & Aerospace

Civilian aircraft engines: $75.77B
Semiconductors: $67.92B
Electric apparatus: $56.85B
Computer accessories: $56.04B
Civilian aircraft: $49.38B
Telecommunications equipment: $46.56B
Computers: $44.83B
Medical equipment: $45.90B
Other industrial machinery: $69.99B

Automotive

Passenger cars: $52.55B
Other automotive parts: $57.02B
Trucks, buses and special-purpose vehicles: $21.95B
Engines and engine parts: $20.85B

Automotive exports were one of the major areas that declined in 2025. Total automotive vehicles, parts and engines fell to approximately $155.4B, down about $16.8B from 2024.

Consumer Goods

Pharmaceutical preparations: $119.77B
Cell phones and household goods: $37.33B
Jewelry: $14.52B
Toiletries and cosmetics: $14.95B
Gem diamonds: $11.13B
Toys, games and sporting goods: $10.87B
Other consumer nondurables: $7.16B
Household appliances: $6.83B

Why Did U.S. Exports Reach a Record in 2025?

The record was driven mainly by capital goods and industrial supplies, rather than agricultural exports.

Capital-goods exports increased by approximately $63.9B, including major increases in:

Computers
Civilian aircraft
Computer accessories
Civilian aircraft engines

Industrial supplies increased by about $55.8B, with particularly large increases in nonmonetary gold, finished metal shapes and natural gas.

At the same time, automotive exports dropped by about $16.8B.

✦

[ advertisement ]

5-Year U.S. Export Growth: 2021 vs. 2025

Now we can see the full five-year picture.

Total Goods Exports

2021: $1,754.3B

2025: $2,185.2B

Overall increase: approximately +24.6%

So U.S. merchandise exports grew by almost one-quarter in five years.

Major Category Growth

Industrial Supplies & Materials

$636.9B → $783.7B

Growth: +23.0%

This category includes petroleum, natural gas, metals, chemicals, plastics and other industrial materials.

Capital Goods

$520.6B → $710.3B

Growth: +36.4%

This is one of the biggest stories of the five-year period. Capital goods include computers, aircraft, aircraft engines, semiconductors, machinery, medical equipment and telecommunications equipment.

Consumer Goods

$222.2B → $269.2B

Growth: +21.1%

Pharmaceuticals are particularly important in this category.

Automotive

$144.1B → $155.4B

Growth: +7.9%

Although automotive exports increased over the five-year period, 2025 was considerably weaker than 2024.

Foods, Feeds & Beverages

$164.7B → $161.0B

Change: −2.3%

This is important because it shows that America's overall export growth was not primarily driven by agriculture.

Other Goods

$65.8B → $105.8B

Growth: +60.7%

This was the fastest percentage increase among these broad Census export categories, although it is much smaller than capital goods or industrial supplies in absolute dollar value.

Final 5-Year Summary

2021 → 2022

$1.754T → $2.065T = +17.7%

This was the strongest annual percentage increase. Industrial supplies, particularly energy and petroleum-related exports, drove much of the increase.

2022 → 2023

$2.065T → $2.020T = −2.1%

Exports cooled after the huge 2022 jump. Industrial supplies and food exports declined, while capital goods and automobiles continued to perform relatively well.

2023 → 2024

$2.020T → $2.062T = +2.0%

The export economy returned to growth. Capital goods became the major growth engine, particularly computers, aircraft engines, semiconductors and computer accessories.

2024 → 2025

$2.062T → $2.185T = +6.0%

The U.S. reached a new five-year record. Capital goods and industrial supplies were the biggest contributors, while automotive exports declined.

2021 → 2025

$1.754T → $2.185T = +24.6%

Over five years, America's merchandise-export economy expanded by nearly 25%.

What Are America's Biggest Exports?

The five-year data shows that the United States is not dependent on one export product.

America exports:

Computers and computer equipment
Semiconductors
Aircraft
Aircraft engines and parts
Industrial machinery
Medical equipment
Pharmaceuticals
Passenger cars
Automotive parts
Crude oil
Petroleum products
Natural gas
Gold and other metals
Chemicals
Plastics
Soybeans
Corn
Wheat
Rice
Meat and poultry
Nuts
Dairy products
Consumer products

The data also makes one thing very clear: America's export economy is much larger and more diversified than agriculture alone. Capital goods, industrial materials, energy, technology, aerospace, pharmaceuticals and automobiles all play major roles.

Important Data Note

All five-year headline figures in this article use the U.S. Census Bureau's Census-basis goods-export data. Census says its goods export values are reported on an F.A.S. basis and that industrial supplies include petroleum and petroleum products.

USDA's agricultural-export database uses a different agricultural classification and therefore may show different values for individual products such as soybeans and corn. For example, USDA's 2025 agricultural data reports total U.S. agricultural exports of $171.49B, with corn at $18.55B and soybeans at about $16.2B.

For that reason, Census figures should be used for the overall U.S. export story, while USDA figures are best used when specifically discussing agricultural exports.