The State of Global Manufacturing report is a comparison study primarily between North American and European manufacturers regarding their purchasing preferences as well as future acquisition plans. The methods, practices and sources for the report were developed and executed by the Italian Trade Commission in collaboration with HSM – organizers of the annual World Business Forum. This report as its base were interviews conducted both online and telephonically during the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2010. In total, 579 manufacturers participated, of which 418 were located in North America while 161