The growing U.S. trade deficit is a source of concern to everyone. This study identifies 18 obstacles or disincentives to American exports. It is limited to the export side of the trade equation, & in its specialized setting, provides a great deal of historical & background material on factors that depress U.S. exports. The study assigns a 25% blame for declining exports on the strong dollar, & examines whether the present international monetary system of floating currency rates is the cause of the dollar¿s strength. It concludes that the system is not to blame. Given worldwide political unrest, oil price shocks, & divergence of major countries¿ economic policies, a fixed -- as opposed to floating -- currency exchange rate system could not have been maintained.