Smaller Manufacturers' Role in Exports

SMEs are responsible for a large share of exports from a wide range of industries. According to the U.S. International Trade Administration, which divides exporting SMEs into the categories of manufacturers, wholesalers, and “other companies,” manufacturers comprised slightly more than one-third of the total value of SME exports in 2001.

Wholesalers, or companies primarily engaged in the distribution of goods to businesses, accounted for another third of exports, and other companies totaled slightly more than one-quarter of all SME exports. SMEs accounted for a large share of total U.S. exports within several manufacturing industries, which also generally paid below the average manufacturing hourly wage rate.

However, when ranked by SME export values, the largest manufacturing industry groups in 2001 were computers and electronic products ($33 billion), machinery manufactures ($22 billion), transportation equipment ($20 billion), chemical manufactures ($17 billion), and processed foods ($11 billion). With the exception of the processed foods industry, these industries paid above the average manufacturing hourly wage rate.