The world's largest foreign TNCs in US global cities: Observations in studying industrial composition

The objective of this study is to assess the scope of presence of foreign TNCs in U.S. global cities and the TNCs' sectoral structure. Sectoral analysis of foreign TNCs in U.S. global cities allows us to draw some interesting conclusions. First is the uniqueness of parity between industrial and non-industrial companies in a post-industrial environment. Second is the lack of a simple linear relationship between the international importance of a city as a corporate center and the sectoral composition of its transnational business segment. Third is the multifold superiority of key cities over secondary ones in terms of foreign firm concentrations in all sectors of the economy. Fourth is the existence of a certain division of labor among the main centers in attracting foreign companies of different industry profiles. An approach that reveals the role that urban areas play as magnets for foreign TNCs could become a new method of analysis within economic geography and related disciplines.

Automated summary

The objective of this study is to evaluate the presence and sectoral structure of foreign TNCs in U.S. global cities. The sectoral analysis of foreign TNCs in these cities reveals interesting findings, including the balance between industrial and non-industrial companies in a post-industrial environment, the complex relationship between the international importance of a city and the sectoral composition of its transnational business segment, and the stronger concentration of foreign firms in key cities compared to secondary ones.