Illinois brief
Illinois – Heartland of the USA
Illinois is situated in the heart of the American Midwest on the shores of Lake Michigan and east of the great Mississippi River. It is a major world center for production, trade, and transport. Taking 56,400 square miles, Illinois is the approximate size of England and Wales combined, or the size of Germany’s Bavaria alone. The state has a population of nearly 13 million with over 700,000 Asians. Illinois is a major player in business but also offers something for everyone: from Blues to baseball, Willis to McCormick, art to architecture. In addition to its world-class museums, such as the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum.
Illinois – America’s Transport Hub
Illinois is home to O’Hare International Airport, one of the world’s busiest, which is served by all of the major international carriers. The airport handles more than 75 million travelers each year. Illinois also boasts two of the nation’s largest rail gateways – Chicago, the nation’s primary rail gateway, and the East St. Louis. More than two-dozen railroads provide service to every corner of the nation from Illinois. Illinois has more than 2,000 miles of interstate highway and 1,118 miles of navigable waterways, which provide the state with a direct link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Thirteen port districts are located in the state with the Port of Chicago offering shippers 70 terminals along the Illinois Waterway system.
Illinois – Top 5 Exporting State
Illinois is one of the top five exporting states in the US and exported over US$65.19 billion to world markets in 2017, in which about US$5.27 billion is being exported to China. China is the Illinois’ 3rd largest export market. Top five industries for exports include: Industrial machinery, chemicals, computer and electronic products, transportation equipment, agricultural and food products, etc.
Illinois – Trade & Investment Opportunities
Illinois represents the largest industrial market in the U.S. and the third largest consumer market. Illinois is the global headquarters’ hub. 36 Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Illinois, such as Abbot, ADM, Caterpillar, Kraft, MacDonald, United, etc. 75% of Fortune 500 companies have opened regional distribution centers in Illinois, because of its unique location, convenient transportation as well as the hard work sprit of people.
Located at the industrial heart of the nation, Illinois companies are able to ship and receive goods or resources without high transport fees or costly delays. Half of all the goods and services created in the U.S. are produced within 500 miles of the state line. Illinois is a convenient and cost effective location for growing companies.
Illinois, as a center of agriculture and manufacturing in the world, has a GDP of US $823 billion in 2017, top 5 highest GDP in the nation, No. 17 largest economy in the world.
Illinois has an impressive workforce with the skills needed to help business succeed. The state has 192 higher education institutions statewide. 40% of Illinoisans have an associate’s degree or better. Nearly 50% of the state’s workforce of over 6 million are professionals, skilled technicians, crafts people or machine operators.
State of Illinois China Office
State of Illinois China Office, established in Shanghai, China in October 2000, offers a wide range of programs and services to strengthen trade and business relationship between Illinois and China, to assist Illinois companies especially small and medium enterprises export to China, and to promote foreign direct investment in Illinois. State of Illinois China office is one of the six foreign offices of the Illinois Department of Commerce’s Office of Trade and Investment (OTI), headquartered at Chicago. The OTI strives to raise Illinois’ profile as a global business leader through a network of professionals focusing on improving the state’s economy worldwide.
State of Illinois China Office will provide comprehensive services to create more business opportunities for you. The scope of services includes but not limited to the following:
Illinois Exports
● Individualized counseling and assessment sessions to determine a company’s exporting capabilities and interests.
● Trade reference materials, international trade leads and international certification opportunities.
● Market research, analysis and options for the company to determine the best geographic market for its products.
● Customized lists of buyers, agents, distributors and other potential industry partners overseas.
● Financial, legal, logistical, and other industry experts as requested.
● Assistance of trade missions to China and individual company service in Chinese market
Foreign Direct Investment
State of Illinois China office promotes Illinois as an excellent place for business based on the Illinois’s unique transportation infrastructure and location, talented workforce, easy access to key markets, and our positive business climate. Illinois is continuously recognized for its business attraction:
● Chicago is the #1 metro, Illinois the #3 state, for new and expanded corporate facilities – Site Selection Magazine 2018
● The Chicago metropolitan area was ranked #1 in the U.S. in attracting projects through foreign direct investment - IBM Global Location Trends 2017 Report
● Illinois is the #5 US state in exports – World Institute for Strategic Economic Research (WISERTrade) via Census Bureau 2017
State of Illinois China office provides foreign companies with information on investment packages, site location, and the availability and advantages of its eight Foreign Trade Zones located across the state.
