Benefits of Trade The United States is the world's largest
economy and the largest exporter and importer of goods and
services. Trade is critical to America's prosperity - fueling
economic growth, supporting good jobs at home, raising living
standards and helping Americans provide for their families with
affordable goods and services. The U.S. is the world's largest
trading nation, with exports of goods and services of nearly
$2.2 trillion in 2012. • U.S. goods and services exports
supported an estimated 9.8 million jobs in 2012. • Every billion
dollars of goods and services exports supported more than an
estimated 4,900 jobs in 2012. • U.S. manufacturing exports
supported an estimated 2.4 million manufacturing jobs in 2009
(latest data available), 20 percent of all jobs in the
manufacturing sector. • U.S. agricultural exports supported an
estimated 923 thousand jobs on and off the farm in 2011 (latest
data available). • Every billion dollars of U.S. agricultural
exports in 2011 required 6,800 American jobs t