Top U.S. Exports in 2025: What America Sells to the World and Why It Matters

The United States remains one of the leading exporters in the global economy, with goods exports exceeding US$2 trillion in 2024. While no single product dominates the U.S. export catalogue, a handful of key sectors drive the bulk of value—spanning energy, capital goods, aerospace, vehicles, and electronics. Below, we dive into eight of the most consequential categories: how they work, why they matter, where they land, and the scale of their performance.

The U.S. continues to export vast volumes of mineral fuels—including crude oil, refined petroleum, and related distillates—leveraging its abundant resource base and global production capacity. This export stream matters because it converts domestic energy production strength into trade value and foreign-exchange earnings. In 2024, fuel & oil exports topped approximately US$320 billion, making them the largest single goods category by value. Key destination markets include Canada, Mexico, and increasingly Europe and Asia as U.S. producers seek higher-margin overseas outlets.

Another cornerstone export for the U.S. comprises heavy machinery, manufacturing equipment, boilers, reactors, and allied capital goods. These goods are critical because they underpin global manufacturing and infrastructure buildouts, and reflect advanced U.S. industrial capability and know-how. According to official statistics, capital goods (including machinery) accounted for the largest increase in exports in 2024—rising by about US$40 billion. Destination markets span Europe, Asia, and Latin America, where industrial investment remains robust.

The U.S. export ecosystem also houses a strong electrical and electronic machinery segment—covering semiconductors, telecommunications equipment, consumer-electronics inputs, and other high-value components. Its importance is tied to both trade value and strategic supply-chain leverage: export strength here anchors U.S. participation in global tech ecosystems. In 2024, electrical/electronic exports reached roughly US$214 billion as part of the top three export categories. Major markets include advanced economies and rapidly digitising regions in Asia.

The U.S. export machine for civil aviation and aerospace remains world-class: jets, engines, avionics, spacecraft components, and related systems represent a high-margin, high-value segment. This matters because it reflects the U.S.’s leadership in advanced manufacturing and technology. In 2024, the category brought in around US$134 billion in exports. Primary destinations include Europe, Latin America, and Asia, where demand for new aircraft, upgrades, and maintenance remains strong.

Automobiles, trucks, automotive parts, and engines form a significant U.S. export line. While the U.S. may no longer lead globally in sheer unit volume, its vehicle and component exports still deliver considerable trade value and link into broader manufacturing supply-chain ecosystems. In 2024, the category was valued at approximately US$144 billion. Key markets include Canada and Mexico (thanks to North American supply‐chain integration), Europe, and select Asia regions.

High added-value exports from the U.S. also include pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and optical equipment. These goods matter because they reflect intellectual property, research-intensive manufacturing, and participation in the global healthcare supply chain. In 2024, pharmaceuticals alone reached about US$94 billion in export value. Destinations include developed economies with high medical-technology uptake and emerging markets upgrading their healthcare infrastructure.

While not as headline-grabbing as aerospace or semiconductors, plastics and shaped plastic goods remain a meaningful export category for the U.S. They serve as feedstock, intermediates, and consumer goods, anchoring industrial supply chains worldwide. Recent data place the category at around US$80 billion in export value. These goods tend to flow to manufacturing-intensive economies in Asia, Latin America, and Europe that rely on imported intermediate materials.

Agriculture and food-related exports remain central to U.S. trade and economic geography. Commodities such as soybeans, grains, oilseeds, processed foods, and other farm goods benefit from large-scale land, technology, and logistics infrastructure. While their unit value is lower than tech or aerospace goods, their scale and strategic importance—especially for rural economies—is substantial. In 2024, “industrial supplies” (which includes many agricultural feedstock exports) reached about US$713 billion, representing 16.8 % of total export value. Key markets include China, Mexico, the EU, and Southeast Asia.