U.S. exports are surging which creates opportunities for manufacturers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, exports of goods and services increased 12% in the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period last year. While exports increased by $199 billion, imports increased by only 0.4%, and so the trade deficit declined by 34%.

The growth in exports is especially relevant as the U.S. increases production of complex, high-value products and strategically important resources. It also creates an opportunity for manufacturers to look beyond domestic demand and pursue export growth. Allies are looking for alternate sources of supply. Prepare to scale and take advantage of the export opportunity.

U.S. Exports are on the Rise

Manufactured goods exports were $735 billion in the first half of 2026, up about 9% from the same period last year. Exports of advanced technology products, including aerospace, electronics, information and communications technology, biotechnology and life sciences, have been growing at an even faster pace. This is an interesting dichotomy as we seem to be simultaneously increasing imports and exports of these critical items/ systems. Clearly, the devil is in the details.

Aerospace provides a good example of export growth which stems from the trade deals that followed the tariffs. For example, Boeing delivered 314 aircraft in the first six months of the year vs 280 which is an increase of 12%. Since 2024, Boeing’s deliveries increased by 80%. Since the percentage of export appears roughly the same, exports have increased substantially. Backlogs are up almost 20%, and there have been several annoucements related to trade deals. According to Boeing, 70% of their total backlog is export.

Energy provides another significant export opportunity. The U.S. is the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), and capacity continues to expand. For example, Cheniere Energy, the largest U.S. LNG exporter, exported 184 LNG cargoes in the second quarter, up 19.4% from a year ago. They also expect exports to increase further as additional production capacity comes online. The trade deals have encouraged LNG exports and the closure of the Striat of Hormuz has also escalated U.S. energy exports.

Another example is GE Vernova’s gas-turbine operations. The company said its U.S. manufacturing investments are designed to support global exports. In 2025, GE Vernova secured HA gas-turbine orders in Malaysia, Poland, Mexico and Kuwait, while grid-equipment orders grew in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Algeria and Germany.

As a member of the California Inland Empire District Export Council, I am also seeing increased focus on the opportunities ahead for U.S. exporters. Manufacturers shouldn’t simply view rising exports as an economic indicator. For companies with differentiated products and the ability to scale, international markets can provide another avenue for profitable growth.

Export Growth Potential: Are You Ready to Scale?

Forward-looking manufacturers will evaluate where export growth could create opportunities for their businesses. Think about the following questions:

  • Are there international markets where your products could solve a customer need or provide a competitive advantage?
  • Could existing products be sold into new markets?
  • Are customers, distributors or strategic partners identifying opportunities outside the United States?
  • Do your customers and/or suppliers know of export opportunities?

In addition to revenue growth, make sure your operations and extended supply chain can support the growth. Since the U.S. specializes on high-value, complex products that rely on extended supply chains of critical minerals, specialized materials, components, equipment, engineering resources and skilled labor, it is important to consider end-to-end supply chain impacts. As demand increases, the constraint can quickly shift from the manufacturer to a Tier 2 or Tier 3 supplier, a critical material, power availability, tooling or logistics.

Use your SIOP (Sales Inventory Operations Planning) process to translate demand and revenue opportunities into capacity, materials, labor, supplier and capital requirements. Evaluate critical suppliers and materials, identify bottlenecks, develop backup sources of supply, and determine where strategic inventory, regional sourcing or vertical integration might be required. For example, a building products manufacturer exported products to Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asia. Since they had sites in other countries, export focused in on the specialty products that were harder to produce in those countries. Opportunities arose to export to new markets. We incorporated the requirements into the SIOP process and proactivley planned for the appropriate export support, equipment, labor, and specialty materials. To learn more about how to rollout SIOP, download our eBook and review our FAQs.

Don’t simply assume your current manufacturing footprint and supply chain can scale. Consider whether products can be redesigned to become more modular, whether processes can run simultaneously instead of sequentially, and whether AI, advanced planning, robotics and automation can increase throughput and responsiveness.

The Bottom Line

The growth in U.S. exports is creating opportunities for manufacturers and their supply chains. Whether your company exports directly, supplies manufacturers serving global markets, or has the potential to pursue new international customers, now is the time to evaluate export growth opportunities and your ability to scale. As trade agreements go into effect, which will open up markets for export and as your customers’ export growth opportunities provide down-the-line needs for their supply chains, the prepared will gain quick momentum.

The winners will not simply be the companies with demand. They will be the companies that can scale rapidly, reliably and profitably. Look beyond your facility, identify the weakest links in your end-to-end supply chain, and prepare now to take advantage of the opportunities ahead.

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