What Does the U.S. Export?:
The U.S. is the world's third largest exporter, after China and the European Union. In 2011, it barely surpassed Germany in the dollar value of exports. (Source: CIA World Factbook, Exports Rank Order
Two-thirds of U.S. exports are material goods. The largest sub-category (25%) is capital equipment, such as computer equipment, semiconductors and medical equipment. The second largest (20%) is industrial machinery and equipment, including plastics, chemicals and petroleum products. Only 5% of exports are automotive, while 6% is food and beverages. Despite being such a large exporter, the U.S. exports less than it imports.
The remaining third of exports are services. In addition, the U.S. exports more services than it imports. That's because of U.S. success in exporting intellectual property, such as technical information. The three largest export categories in services are royalties and license fees, travel services and financial services.
What Does the U.S. Import?:
The U.S. imports more than it exports. As a result, it's the world's largest importer. More than 80% of U.S. imports are goods. The largest category ($756.6 billion in 2011) is industrial machinery and equipment, which includes plastics and chemicals. Within this, the largest category is oil and related petroleum products. In 2011, the U.S. imported $439.3 billion of petroleum products, the highest level since 2008.
The second largest sub-category is consumer goods, which totaled a record of $513.7 billion in 2011. It imported $107.4 billion of food, feeds, and beverages. In addition, the U.S. imported $254.1 billion in automotive vehicles. For updated numbers, see U.S. Trade Deficit.(Source: U.S. Census, Exhibit 6 - Imports by End-Use Category)(Article updated May 18, 2012)
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