diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 6771dde..4220f6e 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -409,6 +409,18 @@ printf :: (fmt: [:0]u8, args: ..Any) -> i32 #foreign libc;
 write_fd :: (fd: i32, buf: [*]u8, count: u64) -> i64 #foreign libc "write";
 ```
 
+`extern` / `export` are the keyword surface for C linkage. `extern` is the modern
+spelling of `#foreign` (import); `export` is its dual — define a function in sx and
+expose it under the C ABI so C can call back in. Both imply `callconv(.c)` and take
+the same optional `[LIB] ["csym"]` rename tail; they also apply to data globals and
+to Obj-C / JNI runtime-class aggregates (postfix after the `#objc_class(…)` directive).
+```sx
+abs       :: (x: i32) -> i32 extern;             // import (== `#foreign`)
+sx_square :: (x: i32) -> i32 export { x * x }    // define + expose to C
+__stdinp  : *void extern;                        // extern data global
+NSObject  :: #objc_class("NSObject") extern { alloc :: () -> *NSObject; }  // reference a runtime class
+```
+
 Direct C header import:
 ```sx
 #import c {
diff --git a/specs.md b/specs.md
index 4b1d5f1..359b8a1 100644
--- a/specs.md
+++ b/specs.md
@@ -1209,6 +1209,40 @@ write_fd :: (fd: i32, buf: [*]u8, count: u64) -> i64 #foreign libc "write";
 - `#foreign lib_ref` declares a function as external C. The library reference is optional: when present it is passed to the linker (`-lname` on Unix); when omitted (`name :: (…) -> T #foreign;`), the symbol must resolve at link time from a framework or an already-linked / auto-detected library.
 - `#foreign lib_ref "c_symbol"` renames the binding: the sx function name differs from the C symbol. This avoids name collisions (e.g. POSIX `write` vs an sx builtin).
 
+#### `extern` / `export` linkage keywords
+
+`extern` and `export` are the keyword surface for C linkage. `extern` is the
+modern spelling of `#foreign` (import a symbol defined elsewhere); `export` is
+its dual — **define** a symbol in sx and expose it under the C ABI so C (or asm,
+or another language) can call it. Both imply `callconv(.c)`, carry external
+linkage, and suppress the implicit sx context parameter. They are postfix
+modifiers, written where `callconv` would go.
+
+```sx
+// Functions — `extern` imports, `export` defines + exposes
+abs       :: (x: i32) -> i32 extern;            // import (== `#foreign`)
+write_fd  :: (fd: i32, buf: [*]u8, n: u64) -> i64 extern libc "write";  // [LIB] ["csym"]
+sx_square :: (x: i32) -> i32 export { x * x }   // define; C can call `sx_square`
+triple_c  :: (x: i32) -> i32 export "triple_c" { x * 3 }  // export under a C name
+
+// Data globals — `extern` imports an external global
+__stdinp  : *void extern;                       // (== `<name> : <type> #foreign;`)
+
+// Aggregates (Obj-C / JNI runtime classes) — postfix after the directive
+NSObject  :: #objc_class("NSObject") extern { alloc :: () -> *NSObject; }  // reference
+SxFoo     :: #objc_class("SxFoo")    export { counter: i32; bump :: (self: *Self) { … } }  // define
+```
+
+- `extern` takes the same optional `[LIB] ["csym"]` tail as `#foreign`
+  (`extern libc "write"`): a `#library` alias reference then a C symbol rename.
+  The `#library` declaration + build-flag linking mechanism is a separate axis —
+  `extern` *references* a library, it does not declare one.
+- `export "csym"` renames the exported symbol the same way (the C-visible name
+  differs from the sx name).
+- On an aggregate, the prefix `#foreign` modifier and a postfix `extern`/`export`
+  keyword are the same axis and cannot be combined: `#objc_class("X") extern` is
+  exactly `#foreign #objc_class("X")`; writing both is a compile error.
+
 ### C Interop Type Mapping
 
 | C type | sx type | Notes |