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World’s Top Exports Report Card for Products and Countries

Global export sales were US$16.329 trillion in 2015, a -10.4% drop since 2011. Most of the damage resulted from a year-over-year decline of -14% for 2015 benchmarked against the $18.986 trillion worth of goods shipped during 2014.

In this analysis, we look at the latest statistics surrounding the world’s top exports to identify the products leading international sales as well as the most successful exporting countries.

Note that the product categories used are at the four-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level in tariff manuals. This level of granularity should help readers spot trends and opportunities around the globe.

World’s Top Exports Report Card for Products

Below are the 20 export products that attracted the highest dollar value in sales during 2015.

  1. Crude oil: US$786.3 billion (Down -50.3% from 2011)
  2. Cars: $672.9 billion (Up 5.5%)
  3. Processed petroleum oils: $605.9 billion (Down -36.5%)
  4. Phone system devices: $532.2 billion (Up 34.7%)
  5. Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $516.7 billion (Up 23.6%)
  6. Automobile parts/accessories: $349.2 billion (Up 2.3%)
  7. Medication mixes in dosage: $322.1 billion (Down -0.6%)
  8. Computers, optical readers: $320.4 billion (Down -4.7%)
  9. Gold (unwrought): $297.1 billion (Up 31.8%)
  10. Petroleum gases: $250.2 billion (Down -39%)
  11. Blood fractions (including antisera): $127.6 billion (Up 41.9%)
  12. Aircraft, spacecraft: $122.4 billion (Up 27.5%)
  13. Computer parts, accessories: $121.3 billion (Down -9.4%)
  14. Diamonds (unmounted/unset): $121.1 billion (Down -21.3%)
  15. Trucks: $113.4 billion (Down -0.7%)
  16. Insulated wire/cable: $112.4 billion (Up 7%)
  17. Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $112 billion (Down -15.3%)
  18. Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays): $107.7 billion (Up 12.5%)
  19. Jewelry: $97.7 billion (Up 18.4%)
  20. Printing machinery: $93.8 billion (Down -20.3%)

Among the world’s top 20 exports, the fastest-growing product from 2011 to 2015 was blood fractions including antisera with a 41.9% increase in value.

In second place were exported phone system devices including smartphones, up 34.7%. International sales of unrefined gold which appreciated by 31.8% over the 5-year period.

World’s Top Exports Report Card for Countries

Below are the 20 countries that earned the highest total dollar amounts in export sales for 2015. Shown within parenthesis is whether the value of each country’s exports increased or declined compared to 2011 metrics.

  1. China: US$2.282 trillion (Up 20.2%)
  2. United States: $1.504 trillion (Up 1.5%)
  3. Germany: $1.331 trillion (Down -10.2%)
  4. Japan: $625 billion (Down -24.1%)
  5. Netherlands: $567.7 billion (Down -15%)
  6. South Korea: $526.9 billion (Down -5.1%)
  7. France: $506.1 billion (Down -15.2%)
  8. Hong Kong: $498.6 billion (Up 9.4%)
  9. United Kingdom: $465.9 billion (Down -9.9%)
  10. Italy: $458.8 billion (Down -12.3%)
  11. Canada: $407.1 billion (Down -9.6%)
  12. Belgium: $400.2 billion (Down -15.9%)
  13. Mexico: $380.7 billion (Up 9%)
  14. Singapore: $346.8 billion (Down -15.3%)
  15. Russia: $333.5 billion (Down -35.5%)
  16. Switzerland: $292 billion (Up 24.3%)
  17. Taiwan: $280 billion (Down -9.4%)
  18. Spain: $278.1 billion (Down -6.7%)
  19. India: $264.4 billion (Down -12.3%)
  20. Saudi Arabia: $213.4 billion (Down -40.4%)

Among the world’s top 20 exporters, only five expanded the value of their exports since 2011: Switzerland (up 24.3%), China (up 20.2%), Hong Kong (up 9.4%), Mexico (up 9%) and the United States (up 1.5%).

Reflecting the downward spiral in oil prices, Saudi Arabia’s exports dropped in value by -40.4% while Russian shipments devalued by -35.5% leading the declines for the top 20 global exporters. Japanese exports depreciated -24.1% while those from Belgium fell -15.9% from 2011 to 2015.

The above 20 countries shipped 73.3% of total exports during 2015.