Exportation is the act of sending goods or products from one country to another for sale or trade. When a factory in the United States ships computers to customers in Japan, that's exportation. When coffee farmers in Brazil send their beans to cafes around the world, they're engaged in exportation.

Countries track their exportation carefully because it affects their economy. When a nation exports more than it imports (brings in), it's called a trade surplus. The United States exports aircraft, machinery, and agricultural products. China exports electronics and clothing. Japan exports cars and technology.

Understanding exportation helps explain why store shelves carry bananas from Ecuador, toys from China, and chocolate from Switzerland. It's the process that connects producers in one country with customers in another, creating a global marketplace where a Wisconsin cheesemaker can sell to someone in South Korea, and vice versa.