# What is the top export of the USA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 2, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-top-export-of-the-usa/721477 "2015-06-02T20:40:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-top-export-of-the-usa/721477/21 "2015-06-03T17:32:51Z")
The United States remains the leading [arms exporter.](http://rt.com/business/241005-russia-second-arms-exporter/) No dollar amount given. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-top-export-of-the-usa/721477/22 "2015-06-03T17:51:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Of course, it depends on how broadly you define the categories. Is “food” an export, or is “wheat”? There are classifications systems that handle questions like this. The older system used SIC codes; the updated system uses NAICS codes. 2 digit codes are broader than 3 digit codes which are broader than 4 digit codes. There are also 1 and I think 5 digit codes. [Website](http://siccode.com/en/). [Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Industry_Classification_System). **May I have the envelope please?!** For 2013, the winning 3 digit NAICS export code for the US was Transportation Equipment. A lot of that was related party trade though, eg GM exporting to a GM plant abroad. If we consider nonrelated party trade, Chemicals were the top group. [http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/2013pr/aip/related\_party/rp13-exh4.pdf](http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/2013pr/aip/related_party/rp13-exh4.pdf) Website: [International Trade Data Main Page](http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/data/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-top-export-of-the-usa/721477/23 "2015-06-03T18:07:53Z")
How about “knowledge”. There are over 1 million foreign students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities. If they pay an average of $5,000 in tuition, that’s $50 billion in “exports”. That would put it 8th on Little\_Pig’s list (and $5000 seems like a low-ball estimate) Now nothing physical is flowing out, but the money is flowing in so it certainly affects the balance of trade – even more so that for typical exports because nothing physical is actually leaving, and the marginal cost of that “export” is close to zero. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-top-export-of-the-usa/721477/24 "2015-06-03T20:19:13Z")
Acccording to this site, it’s cars, followed by refined petroleum products. (assuming I’m working the thing right). > **[The Observatory of Economic Complexity | OEC](https://oec.world)** > > The world’s leading data visualization tool for international trade data. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-top-export-of-the-usa/721477/25 "2015-06-03T20:44:10Z")
Well I think the greatest US export has to be Stuff. That includes cars and oil, but also knowledge, entertainment, beauty, serenity and pinking sheers. We export a lot of Stuff, though we import a lot of it as well. It’s a competitive industry. Below, I slice things more finely. On a one digit basis, the top US export for the US in 2014 was Machinery and transport equipment. In second place was Chemicals and related products, n.e.s. Winning the bronze was Miscellaneous manufactured articles. On a two digit basis, Road vehicles (including air-cushion vehicles) topped the list. Second place was Transport equipment, n.e.s. Third was Petroleum, petroleum products and related materials. On a three digit basis, Aircraft and associated equipment; spacecraft (including satellites) and spacecraft launch vehicles; and parts thereof wins the gold. Silver is awarded to Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals (other than crude), and products therefrom containing 70% (by wt) or more of these oils, n.e.s. Finishing a somewhat more distant third is Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons (not public transport), including station wagons and racing cars. Let’s give all our contenders a round of applause. [http://censtats.census.gov/cgi-bin/sitc/sitcCty.pl](http://censtats.census.gov/cgi-bin/sitc/sitcCty.pl) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-top-export-of-the-usa/721477/26 "2015-06-04T20:37:14Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > How about “knowledge”. There are over 1 million foreign students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities. If they pay an average of $5,000 in tuition, that’s $50 billion in “exports”. That would put it 8th on Little\_Pig’s list (and $5000 seems like a low-ball estimate) > > Now nothing physical is flowing out, but the money is flowing in so it certainly affects the balance of trade – even more so that for typical exports because nothing physical is actually leaving, and the marginal cost of that “export” is close to zero. Other countries worry about “brain drain”. A lot of young people who come to America to attend college end up finding employment or forming relationships and stay in America. I’ve heard that some countries lose almost half of the students they send off to American colleges. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-top-export-of-the-usa/721477/27 "2015-06-04T21:48:10Z")
Bad Manners. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-top-export-of-the-usa/721477.md?page=1)