The United States exports a mix of high‑value goods and key commodities to China, led by technology, energy, and agriculture.

Quick Scoop

In recent years, total U.S. exports to China have been in the ballpark of 140–150 billion dollars a year, making China one of America’s largest export markets. The mix shifts a bit year to year, but the big categories stay surprisingly consistent.

Main things “we” export to China

Here are the major product groups the U.S. sells to China, by value:

  • Electrical and electronic equipment (such as high‑end components, instruments, and specialized devices).
  • Mineral fuels and oils , including crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and refined petroleum products.
  • Oilseeds and grains , especially soybeans and related agricultural products, which have historically been one of the single biggest U.S. exports to China.
  • Aircraft and aviation‑related goods (civilian aircraft, parts, and aerospace components), though these can be lumpy year‑to‑year depending on big orders and political tensions.
  • Industrial machinery and mechanical appliances , used in Chinese manufacturing and infrastructure.
  • Chemicals and related products , including certain organic chemicals and specialized industrial inputs.
  • Agricultural products beyond soybeans , such as meat, dairy, and other food preparations.
  • Metals and metal products , including aluminum, iron and steel articles, and nickel products.
  • Consumer‑oriented goods , including cosmetics, perfumes, beverages, and some high‑end food items.

A simplified snapshot of some leading categories from a recent year looks like this:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Category (U.S. exports to China)</th>
      <th>Approx. 2024 value</th>
      <th>Examples</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Electrical & electronic equipment[web:5]</td>
      <td>~$15.3B[web:5]</td>
      <td>Components, instruments, specialized devices[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Mineral fuels & oils[web:5]</td>
      <td>~$14.7B[web:5]</td>
      <td>Crude oil, LNG, refined fuels[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Oilseeds & grains[web:5]</td>
      <td>Several billions (soybeans dominant)[web:5]</td>
      <td>Soybeans, other oilseeds, related products[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Chemicals & pigments[web:5]</td>
      <td>~$0.4B for key pigment category[web:5]</td>
      <td>Tanning/dyeing extracts, pigments, industrial chemicals[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Food industry residues & animal feed[web:5]</td>
      <td>~$0.8B[web:5]</td>
      <td>Feed ingredients, residues, fodder[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Metals & metal products[web:5]</td>
      <td>Hundreds of millions by metal[web:5]</td>
      <td>Aluminum, iron/steel articles, nickel, etc.[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Consumer goods (cosmetics, beverages, etc.)[web:5]</td>
      <td>Hundreds of millions combined[web:5]</td>
      <td>Perfumes, cosmetics, spirits, specialty foods[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

How this changes over time

  • The overall export value has fluctuated with tariffs, trade tensions, and recoveries (for example, post‑pandemic and after specific trade deals).
  • Agricultural exports (especially soybeans) swing a lot from year to year depending on Chinese demand and policy decisions.
  • Energy exports like LNG and crude have grown with China’s energy needs and U.S. production capacity.

“Latest news” and trends context

  • Recent trade data show the U.S. still relies heavily on China as a destination for high‑value industrial and tech‑related goods plus bulk commodities.
  • At the same time, China is pushing to diversify suppliers and build more domestic capability in some of these sectors, so the exact mix of what we export to China is likely to keep evolving into the late 2020s.

In simple terms: think energy, high‑tech components, planes, and a lot of soybeans—that’s the backbone of what we export to China right now.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.