Why China Matters to ILLINOIS
Illinois was the first state in the U.S. to open a trade office in China in 1974 and has maintained a dedicated team in the country. This consistent investment in the relationship has contributed to Illinois’ robust exporting to China, which ranked second in the Heartland region in 2022, achieving its highest-ever total goods export value of $6.6 billion. Among the Heartland states, Illinois shipped the highest value of oilseeds and grains to China in 2022. Many Chinese investors, entrepreneurs, and companies have found home in Illinois due to its strengths in a wide range of industries. Most recently, Gotion, a prominent electric vehicle battery maker, chose Manteno for a $2 billion electric vehicle lithium battery factory, which will create 2,600 jobs—a landmark manufacturing investment lauded by Governor Pritzker as one of the most significant new manufacturing investments in the state in decades. Furthermore, Illinois boasts a substantial Chinese student population, the highest in the Heartland region. An estimated 14,940 Chinese international students, constituting 27% of the state’s total international students in the 2022/2023 school year, contributed an estimated $532 million to the state’s economy. Additionally, Illinois is home to one of the largest Chinese American populations in the Heartland.
Illinois was the first state in the U.S. to open a trade office in China in 1974 and has maintained a dedicated team in the country. This consistent investment in the relationship has contributed to Illinois’ robust exporting to China, which ranked second in the Heartland region in 2022, achieving its highest-ever total goods export value of $6.6 billion.
This plunge and subsequent rehabilitation period are indicative of the impact the trade war had on Illinois’ top agricultural export of soybeans which were heavily tariffed; consequently, Illinois’ exporting of oilseeds and grains dipped from 1.9 billion in 2017 to just $475 million in 2018.
Among the Heartland states, Illinois shipped the highest value of oilseeds and grains to China in 2022. Many Chinese investors, entrepreneurs, and companies have found home in Illinois due to its strengths in a wide range of industries.
Recent talks at the 2022 Illinois Soybean Summit circle the idea of buyers in China buying directly from Illinois farmers as they seek to buy non-GMO soybeans. Members of a Chinese Embassy delegation were hosted by the Illinois Soybean Association for a farm tour in August of 2022. Trade continues in other arenas as well, as for example an Illinois-based subsidiary of China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. sent the first of its contracted 400 subway trains to the Chicago Transit Authority, which will replace about half of the current fleet in the largest metro care order in CTA history. With anti-Asian hate crimes spiking 224% from 2020 to 2021, and amidst reports of targeted crime and harassment in Chicago, members of the Illinois Asian American Caucus spoke out against hate and reaffirmed the importance of the TEAACH Act passed in 2021 which mandates Asian American history be taught in public schools in the state.
Most recently, Gotion, a prominent electric vehicle battery maker, chose Manteno for a $2 billion electric vehicle lithium battery factory, which will create 2,600 jobs—a landmark manufacturing investment lauded by Governor Pritzker as one of the most significant new manufacturing investments in the state in decades.
Illinois boasts a substantial Chinese student population, the highest in the Heartland region. An estimated 14,940 Chinese international students, constituting 27% of the state’s total international students in the 2022/2023 school year, contributed an estimated $532 million to the state’s economy.
This data and content is updated periodically. The most recent update was January 2024.
Illinois was the first state in the U.S. to open a trade office in China in 1974 and has maintained a dedicated team in the country. This consistent investment in the relationship has contributed to Illinois’ robust exporting to China, which ranked second in the Heartland region in 2022, achieving its highest-ever total goods export value of $6.6 billion. Among the Heartland states, Illinois shipped the highest value of oilseeds and grains to China in 2022. Many Chinese investors, entrepreneurs, and companies have found home in Illinois due to its strengths in a wide range of industries. Most recently, Gotion, a prominent electric vehicle battery maker, chose Manteno for a $2 billion electric vehicle lithium battery factory, which will create 2,600 jobs—a landmark manufacturing investment lauded by Governor Pritzker as one of the most significant new manufacturing investments in the state in decades. Furthermore, Illinois boasts a substantial Chinese student population, the highest in the Heartland region. An estimated 14,940 Chinese international students, constituting 27% of the state’s total international students in the 2022/2023 school year, contributed an estimated $532 million to the state’s economy. Additionally, Illinois is home to one of the largest Chinese American populations in the Heartland.
Illinois was the first state in the U.S. to open a trade office in China in 1974 and has maintained a dedicated team in the country. This consistent investment in the relationship has contributed to Illinois’ robust exporting to China, which ranked second in the Heartland region in 2022, achieving its highest-ever total goods export value of $6.6 billion.
This plunge and subsequent rehabilitation period are indicative of the impact the trade war had on Illinois’ top agricultural export of soybeans which were heavily tariffed; consequently, Illinois’ exporting of oilseeds and grains dipped from 1.9 billion in 2017 to just $475 million in 2018.
Among the Heartland states, Illinois shipped the highest value of oilseeds and grains to China in 2022. Many Chinese investors, entrepreneurs, and companies have found home in Illinois due to its strengths in a wide range of industries.
Recent talks at the 2022 Illinois Soybean Summit circle the idea of buyers in China buying directly from Illinois farmers as they seek to buy non-GMO soybeans. Members of a Chinese Embassy delegation were hosted by the Illinois Soybean Association for a farm tour in August of 2022. Trade continues in other arenas as well, as for example an Illinois-based subsidiary of China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. sent the first of its contracted 400 subway trains to the Chicago Transit Authority, which will replace about half of the current fleet in the largest metro care order in CTA history. With anti-Asian hate crimes spiking 224% from 2020 to 2021, and amidst reports of targeted crime and harassment in Chicago, members of the Illinois Asian American Caucus spoke out against hate and reaffirmed the importance of the TEAACH Act passed in 2021 which mandates Asian American history be taught in public schools in the state.
Most recently, Gotion, a prominent electric vehicle battery maker, chose Manteno for a $2 billion electric vehicle lithium battery factory, which will create 2,600 jobs—a landmark manufacturing investment lauded by Governor Pritzker as one of the most significant new manufacturing investments in the state in decades.
Illinois boasts a substantial Chinese student population, the highest in the Heartland region. An estimated 14,940 Chinese international students, constituting 27% of the state’s total international students in the 2022/2023 school year, contributed an estimated $532 million to the state’s economy.
This data and content is updated periodically. The most recent update was January 2024.
Exports
China's Ranking
In State's Global Trading Partners 2022
#3
Decade Average
Goods Exporting to China
2008-2017 Pre-Trade War
$5 Billion
Highest Year on Record
Goods Exporting to China
2022
% State Global Exporting to china
8%
of Goods Exports 2022
6%
of Service Exports 2021
State Ranking in Heartland
#2
In Total Goods Exports Value 2022
#2
In Total Service Exports Value 2021
State Ranking in U.S.
#4
In Total Goods Exports Value 2022
#4
In Total Service Exports Value 2021
China's Ranking
In State's Global Trading Partners 2022
#3
Decade Average
Goods Exporting to China
2008-2017 Pre-Trade War
$5 Billion
Highest Year on Record
Goods Exporting to China
2022
% State global exporting to china
8%
of Goods Exports 2022
6%
of Service Exports 2021
State Ranking in Heartland
#2
In Total Goods Exports Value 2022
#2
In Total Service Exports Value 2021
State Ranking in U.S.
#4
In Total Goods Exports Value 2022
#4
In Total Service Exports Value 2021
Partnership
Sister Cities
- Bolingbrook/Xuchang
- Chicago/Shanghai & Shenyang
- Galesburg/Ma’anshan
- Rockford/Changzhou
- Springfield/Jining
- Urbana/Haizhu District
- Joliet/Liaoyang
- Peoria/Benxi
Sister Partnership
Illinois
Liaoning
Export Details
2022
Goods Exports
$6.6 Billion
(USCBC Export Report 2023) +9%
1
Oil Seeds & Grains ($3.5B)
+20%
2
Pharmaceuticals & Medicines ($426M)
+42%
3
Navigational & Measuring Instruments ($292M)
+1%
2021
Service Exports
$2.2 Billion
(USCBC Export Report 2023) +13%
1
Education ($532M)
+2%
2
Air Freight & Port Services ($487M)
+46%
3
Royalties From Industrial Processes ($166M)
-1%
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Jobs
58,820
Jobs supported by exports to China in 2021 (USCBC Export Report 2023)
6,700
Jobs supported by Chinese companies (NCUSR Rhodium Group 2018)
+170
Chinese companies operating in-state (NCUSR Rhodium Group 2018)
1
Dalian Hexing Investment Co., Ltd. 1,109 jobs
2
Wanxiang Group Corporation 751 jobs
3
Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation 535 jobs
Education
(IIE Open Doors 2023)
Top educational Institutions with chinese enrollment
- University of Illinois – Urbana – Champaign
- University of Chicago
- Northwestern University
14,940
Estimated number of Chinese International Students in-State
$532 Million
Estimated revenue added by Chinese International Students (USCBC Export Report 2022)
Chinese-American Population
151,392
(APIAVote 2022)
Goods Exporting
In 2022, Illinois remained the top exporter of Oilseeds & Grains to China in the Heartland Region
$14.2 Billion
Chinese Foreign Direct Investment from 1990-2020
(Rhodium Group’s US-China Investment Hub)
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For the states’ trade statistics: USCBC Export Report 2023.
For information relating to Chinese companies operating in-state: Rhodium Group and National Committee on U.S. China Relations’ “New Neighbors: 2018 Update”.
For information relating to Chinese international students: Open Doors’ 2023 Annual Data.
For the population of Chinese Americans in-state: APIAVote’s “2022 AAPI Voter Demographics by State”
For FDI: Rhodium Group’s US-China Investment Hub.
For sister city relationship information: Asia Matters for America by the East-West Center.
For foreign land ownership legislation: Mykel R. Taylor, Wendong Zhang, and Festus Attah. 2023. “Foreign Interests in U.S. Agricultural Lands: The Missing Conversations about Leasing.”