The American aerospace and defense industry’s exports totaled $151 billion in 2018, an increase of 5.81 percent from the previous year, according to a report by the Aerospace Industries Association.
The report, released June 6 by the AIA, also said A&D exports accounted for 9 percent of U.S. exports in 2018. Furthermore, the industry experienced a $90 billion trade surplus.
The A&D industry also produced $929 billion in economic output, which contributed more than $374 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product, the report stated.
Within the U.S. workforce, the A&D industry was responsible for 2.5 million jobs, which accounted for 20 percent of manufacturing positions in the U.S.
A more comprehensive report is expected in the fall.
Kelsey Reichmann is a general assignment editorial fellow supporting Defense News, Fifth Domain, C4ISRNET and Federal Times. She attended California State University.
