Secondary Industry – A business that uses raw materials to manufacture goods or construct items

To remember what secondary industry means use the following mnemonic:

Every second, a dairy (secondary industry) product comes off the conveyer belt. The business uses raw materials to manufacture products.

Another way to remember the meaning of secondary industry is to recall that:

Secondary - second in order

We've learnt what industry means, so:

Secondary industry = a business that is second in the production process of goods.

Once the primary industries have extracted natural resources from the earth, secondary industries use these raw materials to manufacture, construct or assemble finished goods or parts.

An example of a secondary industry is a foundry. A mine (primary industry) extracts the metal ore from the earth, which the foundry melts and casts into products that can either be sold, or used in further stages of production.

The facilities, infrastructure and skills required to carry out the manufacturing process increases the percentage of secondary industries being located in emerging or established economies.