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Gov. Pritzker To Lead Trade Mission to the United Kingdom

Press Release - Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Governor to kick off the international trip at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Chicago— Governor Pritzker along with leaders in business and education from around the state will embark on a trade mission to the United Kingdom on July 16. The Governor will kick off the international trip by attending the Goodwood Festival of Speed from July 13-16 to discuss Illinois' commitment to electric vehicle manufacturing with automobile, energy, and supply chain industry leaders.

Following the Goodwood Festival of Speed, a delegation of business and education leaders will meet with their counterparts in London to discuss strengthening economic cooperation between the State of Illinois and the United Kingdom. Programming throughout the mission will focus on manufacturing, clean energy and technology, quantum, higher education collaboration, and other key industries.

"When I first ran for Governor, I promised to be our state's best Chief Marketing Officer—letting the world know that Illinois is the best place to live, work, and do business," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Over the next several days, I couldn't be more excited to meet with UK and international leaders—sharing the many virtues of our state, from our talented workforce and world-class manufacturing industry to our booming electric vehicle ecosystem and ambitious clean energy goals."

"The State of Illinois and the United Kingdom have a longstanding economic relationship and as Illinois' economic development agency, we look forward to building upon this enduring partnership," said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. "With $5 billion in bilateral trade in 2022, this trip will help us further strengthen our ties and give us the opportunity to meet with some of the most talented leaders across industries in the UK while forging connections on business opportunities that will benefit Illinoisans and people from Britain alike."

"The UK is one of the top foreign investors in Illinois, so this trip is about building on that strength to encourage more British companies to be in Illinois," said Intersect Illinois CEO Dan Seals. "We're making the case for our skilled workforce, our central location, our quality of life, and our international outlook."

Leaders joining the trade mission include:
  • Governor JB Pritzker
  • First Lady MK Pritzker
  • Emanuel "Chris" Welch, Speaker of the IL House
  • Anne Caprara, Chief of Staff to Governor Pritzker
  • Andy Manar, Deputy Governor
  • Christy George, First Assistant Deputy Governor
  • Martin Torres, Deputy Governor
  • Sean Rapelyea, Senior Advisor for External Affairs
  • Jordan Abudayyeh, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications
  • Kristin Richards, Director, DCEO
  • Margo Markopoulos, DCEO, Director of Trade and Investment
  • Cas Peters, DCEO, Senior Policy Advisor
  • Dan Seals, Intersect Illinois, CEO
  • Paulina San Millan, Intersect Illinois, VP for Business Development
  • Alan Gogbashian, UK Consul General to Chicago
  • Tim Killeen, University of Illinois, President
  • Jay Walsh, University of Illinois, VP
  • Juan de Pablo, University of Chicago, EVP
  • Raj Echambadi, Illinois Institute of Technology, President
  • Kate Waimey Timmerman, Chicago Quantum Exchange, CEO
  • David Awschalom, Chicago Quantum Exchange, Director
  • Pranav Gokhale, Infleqtion, VP of Quantum Software
  • Carmen Rossi, 8 Hospitality, CEO
  • Meredith O'Connor, JLL, International Director
  • AJ Patton, 548 Enterprise, CEO
  • Jim Reynolds, Loop Capital, CEO
  • Wendell Dallas, Nicor Gas, President and CEO
  • Gil Quiniones, ComEd, CEO
  • Torrence Hinton, People's Gas and North Shore Gas, President
  • Leonard Singh, Ameren, Chairman and President
  • Kara Demirjian Huss, T/CCI Manufacturing, VP; DCC Marketing, Founder & President
  • Berardino Baratta, MxD, CEO
  • Mark Denzler, Illinois Manufacturing Association, CEO
  • David Boulay, Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center, President
  • Michael Jacobson, Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, CEO
  • Rob Karr, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, CEO
  • Jeff Baker, Illinois Realtors Association, CEO
  • Michael Gobber, Illinois Realtors Association, President
  • Brad Tietz, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, VP of Gov. Relations
  • Monica Mueller, Motorola Solutions, VP of Gov. Affairs
  • Dan Lynch, United Airlines, VP of State and Local Govt.
  • John Atkinson, Marsh US in Chicago, Chairman and Managing Director
  • David Reifman, President, Chicago Business Unit of Clayco; Partner, CRG
Illinois and the United Kingdom have a long history of shared economic cooperation.
  • Exports are a Vital Part of Illinois' Economy
  • Illinois exports exceeded $78 billion in 2022 with the preliminary agricultural adjusted figure reaching $82.2 billion, both all-time highs
  • Illinois is the largest exporting state in the Midwest and the 5th largest in the nation
  • 19 out of the top 20 export industries increased since 2021
  • Since 2009, Illinois exports have increased by $36.55 billion, or 87.8%
  • Export activities support over 800K jobs in Illinois
Total Trade between Illinois and United Kingdom in 2022
  • Illinois exports to United Kingdom totaled $1.94 billion in 2022
  • United Kingdom is Illinois' 9th largest export market
  • Illinois ranks 10th among the 50 U.S. states in exports to United Kingdom
  • Illinois imports from United Kingdom totaled $3.14 billion in 2022, a 139.8% increase since 2009.
  • United Kingdom is Illinois' 13th largest import market
  • Illinois ranks 6th among the 50 U.S. states in imports from United Kingdom

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