Obama champions exports in overture to business

"We need to export more of our goods. Because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America," Obama said.

"So tonight, we set a new goal: We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million jobs in America," Obama said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has locked horns with Obama on healthcare and a number of other issues during his first year in office, has been urging him for months to set a national goal to double exports.

To accomplish that goal, Obama announced a "national export initiative" to help farmers and small businesses sell more of their goods overseas, and also promised to reform export controls that high-tech manufacturers say are out of date.

A recent study for the National Association of Manufacturers estimated modernizing the controls could boost U.S. exports by $56 billion annually within the next 10 years without jeopardizing national security.