diff --git a/.chloggen/cwlogs-exporter-fix-shutdown.yaml b/.chloggen/cwlogs-exporter-fix-shutdown.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9aab1801cbd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.chloggen/cwlogs-exporter-fix-shutdown.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# One of 'breaking', 'deprecation', 'new_component', 'enhancement', 'bug_fix'
+change_type: 'enhancement'
+
+# The name of the component, or a single word describing the area of concern, (e.g. filelogreceiver)
+component: exporter/awscloudwatch
+
+# A brief description of the change.  Surround your text with quotes ("") if it needs to start with a backtick (`).
+note: Flush logs on the exporter shutdown
+
+# One or more tracking issues related to the change
+issues: [18518]
diff --git a/exporter/awscloudwatchlogsexporter/exporter.go b/exporter/awscloudwatchlogsexporter/exporter.go
index 83cf41f948e7..c84470c2f7fa 100644
--- a/exporter/awscloudwatchlogsexporter/exporter.go
+++ b/exporter/awscloudwatchlogsexporter/exporter.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ type exporter struct {
 	pusher           cwlogs.Pusher
 }
 
-func newCwLogsPusher(expConfig *Config, params exp.CreateSettings) (exp.Logs, error) {
+func newCwLogsPusher(expConfig *Config, params exp.CreateSettings) (*exporter, error) {
 	if expConfig == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("awscloudwatchlogs exporter config is nil")
 	}
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func newCwLogsPusher(expConfig *Config, params exp.CreateSettings) (exp.Logs, er
 
 func newCwLogsExporter(config component.Config, params exp.CreateSettings) (exp.Logs, error) {
 	expConfig := config.(*Config)
-	logsExporter, err := newCwLogsPusher(expConfig, params)
+	logsPusher, err := newCwLogsPusher(expConfig, params)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -89,14 +89,15 @@ func newCwLogsExporter(config component.Config, params exp.CreateSettings) (exp.
 		context.TODO(),
 		params,
 		config,
-		logsExporter.ConsumeLogs,
+		logsPusher.consumeLogs,
 		exporterhelper.WithQueue(expConfig.enforcedQueueSettings()),
 		exporterhelper.WithRetry(expConfig.RetrySettings),
+		exporterhelper.WithCapabilities(consumer.Capabilities{MutatesData: false}),
+		exporterhelper.WithShutdown(logsPusher.shutdown),
 	)
-
 }
 
-func (e *exporter) ConsumeLogs(ctx context.Context, ld plog.Logs) error {
+func (e *exporter) consumeLogs(_ context.Context, ld plog.Logs) error {
 	cwLogsPusher := e.pusher
 	logEvents, _ := logsToCWLogs(e.logger, ld)
 	if len(logEvents) == 0 {
@@ -123,21 +124,13 @@ func (e *exporter) ConsumeLogs(ctx context.Context, ld plog.Logs) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (e *exporter) Capabilities() consumer.Capabilities {
-	return consumer.Capabilities{MutatesData: false}
-}
-
-func (e *exporter) Shutdown(ctx context.Context) error {
+func (e *exporter) shutdown(_ context.Context) error {
 	if e.pusher != nil {
 		e.pusher.ForceFlush()
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (e *exporter) Start(ctx context.Context, host component.Host) error {
-	return nil
-}
-
 func logsToCWLogs(logger *zap.Logger, ld plog.Logs) ([]*cloudwatchlogs.InputLogEvent, int) {
 	n := ld.ResourceLogs().Len()
 	if n == 0 {
diff --git a/exporter/awscloudwatchlogsexporter/exporter_test.go b/exporter/awscloudwatchlogsexporter/exporter_test.go
index a2ee98a0f900..bdd590527a3b 100644
--- a/exporter/awscloudwatchlogsexporter/exporter_test.go
+++ b/exporter/awscloudwatchlogsexporter/exporter_test.go
@@ -174,9 +174,9 @@ func TestConsumeLogs(t *testing.T) {
 	logPusher := new(mockPusher)
 	logPusher.On("AddLogEntry", nil).Return("").Once()
 	logPusher.On("ForceFlush", nil).Return("").Twice()
-	exp.(*exporter).pusher = logPusher
-	require.NoError(t, exp.(*exporter).ConsumeLogs(ctx, ld))
-	require.NoError(t, exp.Shutdown(ctx))
+	exp.pusher = logPusher
+	require.NoError(t, exp.consumeLogs(ctx, ld))
+	require.NoError(t, exp.shutdown(ctx))
 }
 
 func TestNewExporterWithoutRegionErr(t *testing.T) {