Sources: U.S. Commerce Dept., and the U.S. Agriculture Dept.
UNITED STATES EXPORTS
# The United States is the world’s largest exporting country,
recording goods and services exports of $960 billion in 1999, up 56 percent ($343 billion) from 1992. U.S. goods exports were $683 billion in 1999, up 55 percent ($243 billion) from 1992.
# An estimated 11.6 million U.S. jobs were supported by goods and services exports in 1999. U.S. jobs supported by goods and services exports grew an estimated 17.1 percent (1.7 million jobs) since 1992. Over 7.5 million U.S. jobs were supported by goods exports in 1999, up an estimated 14.5 percent (951 thousand jobs) since 1992. U.S. jobs supported by goods exports pay 13 to 16 percent higher than the national average wage.
# In 1991, the latest year available, U.S. exports accounted for 19.4 percent of its manufacturing output and represented 18.6 percent of its total manufacturing employment.
# U.S. exports of manufactured products in 1999 were 66 percent higher than 1992, rising to $612 billion in 1999. U.S. exports of high technology products in 1999, a subcategory of manufactured products, were 87 percent higher than 1992, rising to $200 billion in 1999.
# The five largest manufacturing sectors in terms of U.S. exports were: Transportation Equipment ($124.8 billion of exports in 1999), Electronic and Electric Equipment ($118.8 billion), Industrial Machinery and Computers ($118.1 billion), Chemical Products ($67.2 billion), and Scientific and Measuring Instruments ($41.8 billion). These five sectors accounted for nearly 70 percent of the United States’ total goods exports in 1999.
# Among the United States’ fastest growing manufactured exports (in billions) were:
Sector 1992 1999 Change %
Electronic and Electric Equipment $52.9 $118.8 124%
Scientific and Measuring Instruments 24.9 41.9 68
Industrial Machinery and Computers 74.0 118.1 60
Chemical Products 42.8 67.2 57
# The United States is the world’s largest agricultural exporting country, shipping $48 billion in agricultural exports abroad.
The largest export categories, coarse grains, soybeans, red meat, and wheat, accounted for 38 percent of the United States’
agricultural exports in 1999.
# Total exports to NAFTA countries in 1999 were 78 percent higher than 1993 (pre-NAFTA), rising from $142 billion in 1993 to $253 billion in 1999. During 1999, Canada was the United States’ largest export market, while Mexico was the United States’ 2nd largest export market. Exports to Canada in 1999 were 66 percent ($66 billion) higher than 1993, rising to $166 billion in 1999. U.S. exports to Mexico in 1999 were 109 percent ($45 billion) higher than 1993, rising to $87 billion in 1999.
# In 1999, total exports from the United States to Japan were 20 percent ($10 billion) higher than 1992, to $58 billion in 1999.
During 1999, Japan was the United States’ third largest export market.
# In 1999, total exports from the United States to the European Union were 41 percent ($44 billion) higher than 1992, to nearly
$152 billion in 1999.
# In 1999, the United States exported $55.2 billion to South/Central America and the Caribbean (excluding Mexico), over $103 billion to the Pacific Rim (excluding Japan and China) and $6.7 billion to SubSaharan Africa.
# In 1999, the United States exported $13.1 billion to China, its 12th largest export market.
