As part of our Trade Month celebration, we found this speech from Sen. McCain in Illinois on May 19th:

American workers make and sell about 200 billion dollars worth of heavy machinery to other countries every year. Our companies export more than 70 billion dollars worth of aircraft and parts, more than 148 billion dollars worth of electrical machinery and equipment, 106 billion dollars in cars, trucks, and other vehicles. In all, one of every five American jobs depends on factory exports. And you’ll find a lot of those jobs right here in Illinois, like the workers who made the 48 billion dollars worth of goods that this state alone exported last year. Trade offers new opportunities and higher wages to workers like those at the Boeing and Caterpillar plants here in Chicago, who sell their materials and technologies across the world. Trade is good for small businesses, like the Bison Gear and Engineering Company in nearby St. Charles, which has added fifty new jobs just since 2006.

Some Illinois trade facts from TradeRoots:

• 88% of the 17,780 companies that exported goods in 2004 were small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.
• In 2005, Illinois-produced manufactured goods generated nearly 250,000 jobs for workers in Illinois.
• There are 235,600 Illinois workers employed by foreign companies.
• In 2005, Illinois agricultural exports were estimated at $3.2 billion, totaling 37% of agricultural revenue.
• Under NAFTA the volume of U.S. corn exports to Mexico has risen over 42%.
• Since China's accession to the WTO, Illinois' soybean exports have increased six-fold from 1999 to 2004, resulting in millions of dollars in revenues for Illinois farmers.
• Agricultural exports support nearly 42,880 jobs both on and off the farm in food processing, storage, and transportation.

"Attracting new investment and fostering international trade relationships play a vital role in achieving our common goal of building a more robust, prosperous regional economy." - Governor Rod Blagojevich