Advanced manufacturing expertise coupled with diversified manufacturing and related business services ensure Chicago’s continued future as a leading global city, according to a new report commissioned by HSBC Bank USA, N.A.

The report, authored by Chicago Council on Global Affairs Senior Fellows Richard C. Longworth and Phil Levy, finds that while manufacturing is Chicago’s second leading industry behind social services, it dominates the metro and regional economies and trade. Nationally, manufacturing comprises about 12 percent of U.S. gross domestic product.

Furthermore, manufacturing in Chicago will continue to thrive because of the city's deep expertise and resources in the industry, including advanced manufacturing processes based on research and development, the report shows.

“While manufacturing is an evolving industry, Chicago-area manufacturing and trade in manufacturing will continue to be huge forces in the local economy,” said The Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Longworth. “The region is central to the global supply chain of many industries, and if global manufacturers need advice on how to run an industry, they come to Chicago to get it. While Chicago’s bright future will depend on many sectors, manufacturing is undoubtedly Chicago’s bellwether.”

Some of the key trade highlights of the report, Revival in the Heartland: Manufacturing and Trade in Chicago, include:

  • Manufacturing accounted for two-thirds of the metro region's exports in 2013
  • Manufacturing added over $6 billion in direct wages into Chicago’s six-county region in 2012
  • Each manufacturing job accounts for a spin-off of another 2.2 jobs, adding about 800,000 more jobs at locally-based suppliers and in business services, such as accounting
  • Manufacturing adds close to $54 billion yearly to the gross regional product
  • Manufacturing makes up about 90 percent of the state’s total exports, totalling $63 billion in 2012

Chicago also benefits from a diverse manufacturing base that is supported by strong business services. The report, which will be featured at today's HSBC Made For Trade1 Chicago – Manufacturing Global Connections, shows that Chicago’s manufacturing industry is dispersed among several sectors. It also notes that the city’s strong business and professional services related to manufacturing will keep growing, particularly as developing countries continue to grow and look for these services.

“Chicago is the epicenter of America's manufacturing renaissance and I’m pleased to be part of HSBC’s Made for Trade event to highlight our leading role in the global marketplace," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "Chicago’s strength lies in diversity as no more than 13 percent of our economy is tied to any one sector. This ensures our place as a thriving hub for global business and international trade. There is excitement in the air as the City of Big Shoulders transforms to a place for big discoveries while the next generation of advanced manufacturing flourishes here.”

Other speakers at today's Made for Trade event include leaders from: Illinois Manufacturer’s Association; The Chicago Council on Global Affairs; Boeing; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Suzo Happ; Hydro Inc.; and The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute; as well as Irene Dorner, President and CEO, HSBC USA; and Steve Bottomley, Head of Commercial Banking North America, HSBC Bank USA, N.A.

HSBC, established in the U.S. in 1875, has a rich history of supporting international commerce and is the largest trade financer in the world.

“Chicago is truly an international city, and the flow of goods throughout the area is a natural extension of its deep manufacturing history,” said Steve Trepiccione, Senior Vice President, Managing Director and Head of Midwest Region, Commercial Banking, HSBC Bank USA, N.A. “As we look at the future of global trade, it's exciting to see how well positioned Chicagoland is for continued growth. As the leading bank for international trade, HSBC looks forward to helping Chicagoland businesses continue to push the limits of their borders.”

This is the fourth official stop of the HSBC Made For Trade tour, which launched in Los Angeles in March before moving on to Houston and San Francisco. The tour will culminate this October in Washington, D.C.

For more information about HSBC Made For Trade and how HSBC is helping to make global connections, please visit: http://www.MadeForTrade.hsbc.com

Notes to Editors

(1) HSBC Made For Trade

HSBC Made For Trade is a national conversation with leaders in business, government, industry and academia about the role of global trade in today’s economy. This national tour looks at the contribution of the international flow of goods, services and capital to the U.S. economy, and the opportunities for American businesses brought about by global trade. HSBC Made For Trade stops in four U.S. cities whose economies have been shaped by global trade, and concludes in Washington, DC, where voices from around the country are brought together with national officials and thought leaders to discuss policies to further promote the international flow of goods, services and capital.

About HSBC

Founded in 1865 to finance trade between Asia and the West, today HSBC Group is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations. Headquartered in London, HSBC Group operates through long-established businesses and an international network of some 6,300 offices in 75 countries and territories. HSBC is the world’s leading bank for international trade, financing approximately 10 percent of international trade flows in 2012.* Our global reach and expertise helps millions of customers – from small businesses to multinationals – unlock their potential.

In the U.S., HSBC serves 3 million customers through retail banking and wealth management, commercial banking, private banking, asset management, and global banking and markets segments, and operates more than 240 bank branches: over 155 in New York State as well as in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington State.

About The Chicago Council on Global Affairs

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, founded in 1922, is an independent, non-partisan organization committed to educating the public – and influencing the public discourse – on global issues of the day. The Council provides a forum in Chicago for world leaders, policymakers and other experts to speak to its members and the public on these issues. Long known for its public opinion surveys of American views on foreign policy, The Chicago Council also brings together stakeholders to examine issues and offer policy insight into areas such as global agriculture, the global economy, global energy, global cities, global security and global immigration.

*Oliver Wyman Global Transaction Banking Survey 2012