The United States continued to be the highest value market for Welsh products - accounting for £3.2bn (15.9%) of exports, up from £3.1bn - in the year ending September 2022, according to Business Wales.
This is a significant proportion of the overall value of goods exports for Wales, which stood at £19.9bn in the year ending September 2023, up £0.4 billion (2.0%) compared to the previous year, and up £5.6bn (39.3%) compared to the year ending September 2021.
Exports to the US now eclipse Wales’ other sizeable trading partners - including Ireland (£2.7bn) and Germany (£2.6bn), according to the latest figures provided by Business Wales - and have largely been driven by an increase in the value of machinery and equipment exports.
However, Welsh exports to the US are not limited to heavy machinery. Take the Football Association of Wales (FAW) for example, which is on track to significantly grow its exports following a surge in demand for its coaching qualifications in the US, with support provided by the Welsh Government.
The FAW currently delivers coaching courses in more than seven states across the US: Ohio, California, South Carolina, Kansas, Colorado, New York and North Carolina. Their progress ties in with a wider expansion strategy to grow in the US market ahead of the 2026 World Cup, being jointly hosted by the US.
This follows on from the FAW joining a Welsh Government Trade Mission to North Carolina and South Carolina in late 2022 just before Wales faced the USA in the World Cup itself – reflecting that both countries are partners on and off the field.
At the end of 2022, Cardiff-based Mallows Beauty landed its first deal in the US, signing a contract to supply international fashion retailer Urban Outfitters stores in the US. The brand is also on the verge of securing a US-wide distributor, which would open it up to thousands of independent retailers across the country.
Pontypool-based Frog Bikes - a manufacturer of high-quality, lightweight kids’ bikes, and a winner of the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade - is making excellent inroads in the US, where an estimated three million kids’ bikes are sold a year.
Whilst Powys-based Makefast Group - which designs systems for super yachts and luxury boats - has seen so much interest in its products in the US, that the company opened its first American headquarters in Maryland in 2022, to enable them to meet the demand they’d see.
Why is Wales' export relationship with the US developing?
The US has always been a strong trading partner for Wales and our long-standing and more recent export strengths, from aerospace to TV and film, support the foundations that allow us to open doors for new Welsh exporters.
To maintain this momentum, the Welsh Government is being enormously proactive in creating opportunities and cultivating a fertile environment that will allow ambitious Welsh exporters to thrive in the lucrative US markets.
In addition to a return to the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco at the end of March, supporting the thriving creative tech and gaming businesses in Wales, the Welsh Government will be targeting key sector focussed events in life sciences and aerospace, and exploring major US commercial centres throughout the first half of 2024.
Supported by the Welsh Government’s International Trade team and overseas teams based right across the US, Welsh businesses will have the chance to attend world-leading events, and discover new partners and markets to grow their exports.
Upcoming export events and available support
With two conferences taking place in Cardiff and Hawarden in Flintshire on March 14 and 21, respectively, Explore Export Wales 2024 is the Welsh Government’s flagship annual export event.
The event provides great opportunities for businesses to network with one another, get the latest export news, speak to support organisations, explore overseas opportunities, including those in the US, and discover tools to support export growth.
The Welsh Government export support programmes aim to go further in helping businesses understand the potential for their products and services in key markets, in order to identify potential partners and customers and to visit events and exhibitions.
A strong trading relationship
The trading relationship between Wales and the US has always been a special one. Wales has ‘exported’ everything from steel to political expertise to America.
At least five of the signatories to the Declaration of Independence, and at least eight Presidents, had Welsh ancestry. Not to mention, the steel roof structure of the White House was made in Pontardawe in the late 19th century. And it’s upon such strong history that the relationship continues to build.
For more information about the range of Welsh Government export support and services available, visit Business Wales' .
To learn more about the annual Explore Export Wales conferences in North and South Wales, click .
All statistics provided by Business Wales.
