The total value of goods and services sold abroad by a country is called its exports.
Exports include physical products shipped to foreign buyers and services supplied to customers in other countries. Examples include manufactured equipment, agricultural products, tourism, transport, software, and financial services. National accounts and trade statistics record exports as transactions involving nonresidents.
Exports are one component of gross domestic product in the expenditure approach. The standard expression is GDP = consumption + investment + government spending + exports − imports. Imports are subtracted because they may be included in consumption, investment, or government spending even though they were produced abroad.
A country can have high exports and still run a trade deficit if its imports are worth more. Export value also does not necessarily equal domestic value added, because exported products may contain imported components.