Top American Exports in 2007

Leading USA Products Include Semiconductors and Civilian Aircraft

Jul 27, 2008 Daniel Workman

Business machines, wheat, barley and oats topped the list for the fastest-growing exports from the United States last year.

During 2007, the total value of U.S. exported goods to the rest of the world. was US$1.16 trillion. This represents a 12.2% gain since 2006, a rate that exceeds the 5.4% gain in overall American imports for the same period.

Fastest-declining exports from the U.S. included blank audio and video media, metalworking machine tools, computer accessories and manufactured tobacco.

Top 12 U.S. Exports

The following product categories were America’s leading exports in 2007. These categories represent about 38% of total U.S. exports during the year.

1. Semiconductors ... US$50.2 billion (4.3% of US total Exports, down 4.3% from 2006)
2. Complete civilian aircraft ... $48.8 billion (4.2%, up 19.6%)
3. Automotive parts and accessories ... $44.2 billion (3.8%, up 2%)
4. New and used passenger cars ... $43.7 billion (3.8%, up 28.6%)
5. Other industrial machines ... $38.3 billion (3.3%, up 17.1%)
6. Pharmaceutical preparations ... $35 billion (3%, up 13.2%)
7. Telecommunications equipment ... $31.4 billion (2.7%, up 10.8%)
8. Organic chemicals ... $31.4 billion (2.7%, up 15.7%)
9. Electric apparatus ... $31.1 billion (2.7%, up 4.2%)
10. Computer accessories ... $29.4 billion (2.5%, down 18.7%)
11. Plastic materials ... $29.1 billion (2.5%, up 15.6%)
12. Medicinal equipment ... $23.8 billion (2.1%, up 5%).

Fastest-Growing U.S. Exports

Listed below are product categories for American exports that increased by experienced the highest percentage gains in 2007.

1. Business machines excluding computers ... US$5.4 billion (up 99.6% from 2006, up 179.8% from 2003)
2. Wheat ... $8.5 billion (up 99%, up 111.6%)
3. Sorghum, barley and oats ... $1.2 billion (up 74.7%, up 82.4%)
4. Dairy products and eggs ... 2.5 billion (up 64.2%, up 229.1%)
5. Oilseeds and food oils ... $2 billion (up 53.1%, up 43.4%)
6. Nonmonetary gold ... $13.3 billion (up 51.7%, up 178.2%)
7. Steelmaking materials ... $9,9 billion (up 46.2%, up 281.5%)
8. Soybeans ... $10.5 billion (up 43.5%, up 29.9%)
9. DVDs, tapes and disks ... $4.9 billion (up 39.8%, up 55.2%)
10. Musical instruments ... $2.1 billion (up 37.9%, up 103.7%)
11. Natural gas ... $3.1 billion (up 36.2%, up 118.1%)
12. Corn ... $11.2 billion (up 36.2%, up 94.8%).

Fastest-Declining U.S. Exports

Listed below are American product categories for exports with the greatest percentage declines last year.

1. Audio and video media ... US$584.3 million (down 67.5% from 2006, down 56.6% from 2003)
2. Metalworking machine tools ... $6.7 billion (down 29.3%, down 27.8%)
3. Computer accessories ... $29.4 billion (down 18.7%, down 6.1%)
4. Manufactured tobacco ... $1.2 billion (down 15.1%, down 38.5%)
5. Complete military aircraft ... $4 billion (down 10.5%, up 85%)
6. Textile apparel and household goods ... $4.7 billion (down 9.3%, down 20.5%)
7. Cotton fiber cloth ... $2.9 billion (down 9%, up 2.2%)
8. Military apparel and footwear ... $654.3 million (down 5.6%, down 22.6%)
9. Pulp and paper machinery ... $2.7 billion (down 5.4%, up 13.7%)
10. Aircraft launching gear ... $329.8 million (down 4.4%, up 92.4%)
11. Electric energy ... $991 million (down 4.3%, up 31.1%)
12. Semiconductors ... $50.2 billion (down 4.3%, up 8.8%).

See also America's Top Imports & Exports 2008.

Sources

This analysis is based on latest statistics from the US Census Bureau - Foreign Trade Statistics and CIA World Factbook as of the date of article publication.

The copyright of the article Top American Exports in 2007 in International Trade is owned by Daniel Workman. Permission to republish Top American Exports in 2007 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Civilian aircraft: America's second-biggest export