The ITA promotes trade and investments in the United States through data aggregation and studies on global markets and specific U.S. regions. The agency utilizes its research to negotiate on behalf of U.S. industries and is also responsible for enforcing compliance with trade agreements.
The ITA reports trade totals for exports in the largest export metros in the U.S. The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area, which consists of 10 counties in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, exported $43.70 billion in 2017. Cook County's total exports accounted for 49 percent of the metro area's total exports.
The following table shows how much each of the area's counties exported in 2017.
| Metro Area County | State | Total exported (in millions) | Percent of total metro area exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | Illinois | $21,413 | 49% |
| DuPage County | Illinois | $7,235 | 16.6% |
| Lake County | Illinois | $6,122 | 14% |
| Will County | Illinois | $4,905 | 11.2% |
| Kane County | Illinois | $2,115 | 4.8% |
| McHenry County | Illinois | $847 | 1.9% |
| Porter County | Indiana | $539 | 1.2% |
| Kenosha County | Wisconsin | $522 | 1.2% |