Manufacturing is the process of transforming materials or components into finished products that can be sold in the marketplace. The manufacturing industry includes a wide range of companies that manufacture an enormous variety of goods; every physical product that you buy in a store or online is manufactured somewhere. Some of the major product groups include food and beverages, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, and computers and electronics. The global manufacturing sector generates about $12 trillion in annual revenue, according to the UN. Top manufacturing countries include China, the US, Japan, Germany, South Korea, India, Italy, France, and the UK. Leading exporting countries include China, the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, France, the Netherlands, and South Korea.