Foreign investment in the United States (2024)

FDI in Figures

According to UNCTAD's 2022 World Investment Report, FDI flows to the U.S. rebounded strongly by 143.6%, from USD 151 billion in 2020 to USD 367 billion in 2021, mainly due to a surge in cross-border M&As. Reinvested earnings amounted to USD 200 billion in 2021, the highest level ever recorded. They were spread across many services industries, including information and communication, trade, transport and storage, finance and insurance and professional services. The U.S. FDI stock in 2021 reached USD 13,619 billion. Equity investments were up by 54%, and new greenfield project announcements also increased (+28%) to USD 86 billion. The country remained the world’s largest recipient of FDI (followed by China), thanks to its large consumer base, a predictable and transparent justice system, a productive workforce, a highly developed infrastructure and a business environment that fosters innovation. According to data from the U.S. International Trade Administration, FDI accounts for nearly 16% of U.S. business research and development (R&D) and directly supports almost 8 million jobs in the country. The main investing countries in the U.S. are Japan, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. Most of these investments are in manufacturing, financial and insurance activities, and trade and maintenance. In 2021, California received the most investment, followed by Massachusetts and New York (BEA). The latest data available from OECD shows that in the first semester of 2022, FDI inflows to the U.S. decreased by USD 100 billion, amounting to around USD 74 billion in Q2 2022 (compared with nearly USD 124 billion in Q4 2021).

According to the latest The Economist’s Business Environment ranking, the United States is a top performer, occupying the 6th position out of 82 countries. The country remains the world's leading economic power, the largest international financial centre, and the third-largest country in the world in terms of population. The United States is one of the countries with the best regulatory performance in paying taxes. On the down side, there are the increasing inequalities and the polarised political landscape, as well as a high level of household debt. Furthermore, the Foreign Investment Risk Assessment Modernization Act (FIRRMA) significantly expanded the review authority of the Foreign Investment Commission (CFIUS) on the grounds of national security, a matter that has been seen as one of the major causes of the drop in Chinese investments towards the U.S. in recent years (as many Chinese investing companies are state-owned).

Foreign Direct Investment201920202021
FDI Inward Flow (million USD)225,108150,828367,376
FDI Stock (million USD)9,362,94210,813,50713,619,023
Number of Greenfield Investments*2,0151,6411,671
Value of Greenfield Investments (million USD)101,21067,16185,936

Source: UNCTAD, Latest available data.

Note: * Greenfield Investments are a form of Foreign Direct Investment where a parent company starts a new venture in a foreign country by constructing new operational facilities from the ground up.

FDI STOCKS BY COUNTRY AND BY INDUSTRY

Main Investing Countries2019, in %
Japan15.0
Canada12.9
Germany11.6
United Kingdom9.9
Ireland7.6
France6.9
The Netherlands6.4
Switzerland5.0
Austria1.9
Spain1.9
Main Invested Sectors2019, in %
Manufacturing40.8
Financial and insurance12.1
Wholesale trade10.3
Holding companies (non-bank)5.6
Banking4.9
Professional, scientific, and technical services4.4
Information4.1
Retail trade3.4

Source:OFII: Foreign Direct Investment in the U.S. 2020- Latest available data.

Form of Company Preferred By Foreign Investors
The most common form of organization for foreign investors is a limited liability company.
Form of Establishment Preferred By Foreign Investors
Company
Main Foreign Companies
Foreign companies present in the United States include for example Rolls Royce, Volkswagen, BMW, Siemens, Airbus, BASF, Bridgestone, Michelin, Unilever, Shell, etc.
Sources of Statistics
U.S Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Latest Update: June 2023

Foreign investment in the United States (2024)

FAQs

Foreign investment in the United States? ›

International companies invested more than $400 billion in the United States in 2021, the third-highest level over the past decade, after lackluster FDIUS flows of $109 billion in 2020 (during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic). This was the weakest year over the past decade.

How much foreign investment is in the US? ›

International companies invested more than $400 billion in the United States in 2021, the third-highest level over the past decade, after lackluster FDIUS flows of $109 billion in 2020 (during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic). This was the weakest year over the past decade.

How are foreign investments affecting the US economy? ›

According to research by the Department of Commerce, foreign investment supported some sixteen million U.S. jobs [PDF] in 2019, or 10.1 percent of the total labor force. On average, foreign firms pay higher salaries than their domestic competitors; they are also disproportionately involved in manufacturing.

What percentage of the US stock market is foreign investment? ›

At that rate foreign investors' share of the fixed U.S. capital stock would rise to about 8.4 percent in the year 2000, but decline to 7.8 percent in 2010 and to 2.8 percent in 2020.

Why foreign investment in the US is good? ›

The United States has always provided foreign investors a stable and welcoming market. As a place to do business, the United States offers a predictable and transparent legal system, low taxes, outstanding infrastructure, and access to the world's most lucrative consumer market.

Which country invests most in USA? ›

The main investing countries in the U.S. are Japan, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. Most of these investments are in manufacturing, financial and insurance activities, and trade and maintenance. In 2021, California received the most investment, followed by Massachusetts and New York (BEA).

Which country invested most in USA? ›

In 2021, no country had a higher foreign direct investment (FDI) position in the United States than Japan, followed by the Netherlands and Canada. At that time, Japan had over 690 billion U.S. dollars invested in the United States.

Does the US economy benefit from foreign trade? ›

Trade keeps our economy open, dynamic, and competitive, and helps ensure that America continues to be the best place in the world to do business.

What percent of American companies are foreign owned? ›

In terms of total holdings of financial assets, 6.2 percent of U.S. corporate stock was registered to foreign owners last year, up from 4.1 percent in 1980 according to the Securities Industry Association. Total foreign ownership of U.S. corporate debt rose to 12.9 percent last year.

Which country attract the most foreign investment? ›

List of countries by received FDI
RankCountryStock of FDI at home (millions of USD)
European Union20,000,000
1Netherlands4,888,000
2United States4,084,000
3United Kingdom2,027,000
114 more rows

How much US real estate is owned by foreign investors? ›

Highlights: Foreign Investment US Real Estate Statistics

From April 2020 to March 2021, investors from outside the United States bought 107,000 properties worth $54.4 billion in the United States. Foreign-born individuals make up 14.25 percent of the population in the country's 50 largest metros, on average.

Who owns most of the US stock market? ›

Our new analysis shows that foreign investors owned about 40 percent of US corporate equity in 2019, up substantially over the last few decades. Retirement accounts of US households owned about 30 percent in 2019, and the taxable accounts of US investors owned about 25 percent, which is most of the rest.

Is the US the largest host economy for foreign direct investment? ›

The United States recorded the largest increase of inward foreign direct investment of all economies in 2021. The latest release of the IMF's Coordinated Direct Investment Survey shows the US position increasing by $506 billion, or 11.3 percent, last year.

What is the downside of foreign investment? ›

Disadvantages of FDI

hinder domestic investments and transfer control of domestic firms to foreign ones. risk political changes, exposing countries to foreign political influence. influence exchange rates. Influence interest rates.

How does the US government encourage foreign investment? ›

Governments discourage or restrict FDI through ownership restrictions, tax rates, and sanctions. Governments encourage FDI through financial incentives; well-established infrastructure; desirable administrative processes and regulatory environment; educational investment; and political, economic, and legal stability.

Who is the biggest investor in US? ›

1. Warren Buffett. As one of the world's wealthiest investors, Warren Buffett almost needs no introduction. He's CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, a $665 billion conglomerate that acts as the holding company for Buffett's investments, both its wholly-owned companies and its stocks.

What country owns the most US businesses? ›

In terms of country of ownership, Japan holds the largest amount of U.S. portfolio assets, followed by China.

Where in America has the best ROI? ›

1. Wyoming: 203% 5-year ROI on College. Wyoming has some of the highest wages for high school graduates: $31,936 a year, on average. This results in a 43 percent increase in pay for earning a bachelor's degree.

Is foreign direct investment good for the US? ›

Foreign direct investment impacts the U.S. economy in many positive ways. For example, FDI: Creates New Jobs: U.S. affiliates of foreign companies (majority-owned) employ approximately 5.3 million U.S. workers, or 4.6% of private industry employment.

What are the top states with foreign investment? ›

The investment is more than Karnataka ( ₹2,93,149 crore, 331 projects) and Gujarat ( ₹ 2,36,866 crore, 602 projects), states the survey. When it comes to inflow of FDI, Karnataka is in top position. For the two consecutive years, it has received more FDI than Maharashtra.

Who are the 5 largest investors of foreign direct investment? ›

According to the latest results of our Coordinated Direct Investment Survey , and as shown in our Chart of the Week, the world's top ten recipients of foreign direct investment by end-2020 were the United States, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, China, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, Switzerland, Ireland, and ...

How much does the US rely on foreign trade? ›

U.S. exports of manufactured goods reached nearly $1.4 trillion in 2019, accounting for more than 82% of all U.S. merchandise exports. The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that exports of manufactured goods directly support more than 6 million U.S. manufacturing jobs—roughly half of all manufacturing employment.

Why is America important to the world? ›

America is the world's largest national economy and leading global trader. The process of opening world markets and expanding trade, initiated in the United States in 1934 and consistently pursued since the end of the Second World War, has played an important role in the development of American prosperity.

Why is the US economy so strong? ›

There are two things that matter to an economy in the long term: the size of its workforce and the productivity thereof. A higher fertility rate and a more open immigration system have long given America a demographic advantage over most other wealthy countries, and that continues.

What countries own US property? ›

Countries Who Own The Most Acres U.S. Agricultural Land
  • Canada (12,845,000 acres)
  • Netherlands (4,875,000)
  • Italy (2,703,000)
  • United Kingdom (2,538,000)
  • Germany (2,269,000)
  • Portugal (1,483,000)
  • France (1,316,000)
  • Denmark (856,000)
Mar 1, 2023

Is Budweiser owned by a foreign country? ›

Budweiser (/ˈbʌdwaɪzər/) is an American-style pale lager, part of Belgian company AB InBev.

Do foreigners own most of the assets in the United States? ›

If the Federal Reserve's holdings are excluded, foreigners own nearly 60 percent of outstanding marketable treasuries. Foreigners own less-significant portions of other asset markets. Their holdings of equities, though large in dollar terms, are small relative to the size of the equity market.

Which country has the highest investment freedom? ›

#1 Singapore

Read More About SingaporeSingapore's economic freedom score is 83.9, making its economy the world's freest in the 2023 Index. Its score is about the same as last year.

Who is China's largest foreign investor? ›

Singapore and China are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations in 2020. Since 2013, China has been Singapore's largest trading partner, and Singapore has been China's largest foreign investor.

Are the Chinese buying American homes? ›

Chinese investors are among the top foreign purchasers of residential real estate, along with Canadians, according to the National Association of Realtors. Other states have had concerns over foreign ownership of land and have made efforts to regulate it.

Who is the largest foreign buyer of US real estate? ›

China, Canada, India, Mexico and Brazil were the top five countries of origin for foreign U.S. buyers. Chinese buyers had the highest average purchase price, at “just over $1 million,” per the report, with 31% of purchasers from China opting for properties in California.

Is China buying up US real estate? ›

Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland jumped more than 20-fold in a decade from $81 million in 2010 to nearly $1.9 billion in 2021. Hu pointed out that the Fufeng Group, a China-based chemical manufacturing company, bought 300 acres of land for a corn mill in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Who is the richest man in stock market? ›

The story of the top 5 richest investors in the world
  • Warren Buffett. Net worth: $103 Billion. Founder & CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. ...
  • Jim Simons. Net worth: $28.6 Billion. Founder of RenTech, a quantitative hedge fund. ...
  • Ken Griffin. Net worth: $27 Billion. ...
  • Ray Dalio. Net worth: $22 Billion. ...
  • Carl Icahn. Net worth: $17.5 Billion.
Apr 17, 2023

How much of US stocks are owned by China? ›

As an estimate, Chinese securities account for less than 2% of the total portfolio of U.S. investors.

Who is the largest stock holder in the world? ›

Largest Shareholders
  • Holmen Spesialfond 7 550 054 7.23%
  • T.D. Veen 6 146 946 5.89%
  • Bjøberg Eiendom AS 4 025 775 3.86%
  • Pexip Holding ASA 3 026 246 2.90%
  • J.P. Morgan Securities PLC 2 622 344 2.51%
  • Avanza Bank AB 2 344 810 2.25%
  • Veen Eiendom AS 2 133 496 2.04%
  • Synesi AS 2 100 000 2.01%

Who is the largest recipient of foreign direct investment? ›

Gas prices fall in Europe and US on Brussels plan and recession fears. The United States is the leading country receiving foreign investment, according to the latest update of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Direct Investment Survey.

What is the most common form of direct foreign investment? ›

Horizontal direct investment is perhaps the most common form of direct investment. For horizontal investments, a business already existing in one country establishes the same business operations in a foreign country. A fast-food franchise based in the United States might open restaurant locations in China.

Which nation in Central America has the highest percentage of foreign direct investment? ›

Panama attracts more U.S. FDI than any other country in Central America, closing 2019 with $5.27 billion, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Over the last decade, Panama had been one of the Western Hemisphere's fastest growing economies.

Why are international investments so risky? ›

The risks that tend to make investors hesitant (automatic download) toward international investments include higher transaction costs, currency volatility and liquidity risks. It goes without saying that the value of investments can (and will) be impacted by changes in the value of the currency itself.

What is an example of a foreign direct investment? ›

An example would be McDonald's investing in an Asian country to increase the number of stores in the region. Here, a business enters a foreign economy to strengthen a part of its supply chain without changing its business in any way.

What are the two major concerns about foreign direct investment? ›

The two major concerns about foreign direct investment​ are: who receives the profits and taxes. who controls the assets and who receives the profits.

What are some reasons for investing in a foreign economy rather than in the US? ›

Two of the chief reasons why people invest in international investments and investments with international exposure are: Diversification. International investing may help U.S. investors to spread their investment risk among foreign companies and markets in addition to U.S. companies and markets.

Which country has highest foreign investment? ›

Top recipients of FDI inflows worldwide in Q3 2022 were the United States (USD 86 billion), Ireland (USD 37 billion) and the United Kingdom (USD 36 billion).

Which country has the largest foreign investment? ›

The United States recorded the largest increase of inward foreign direct investment of all economies in 2021.

What percentage of US real estate is owned by foreign investors? ›

Foreign buyers living in the U.S. made up the lion's share of investors, buying $34.1 billion worth of U.S. homes — or 58% of the volume.

Who owns the most real estate in USA? ›

The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres. The bulk of that land is dedicated to timber in Northern California. But the most headline-worthy transaction of 2022 was the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas.

Who are the biggest foreign investors in US real estate? ›

In 2022, five countries (Canada, China, Mexico, India and the U.K.) accounted for 29% of purchases.

Are foreign investments good for a country? ›

FDI can also promote competition in the domestic input market. Recipients of FDI often gain employee training in the course of operating the new businesses, which contributes to human capital development in the host country. Profits generated by FDI contribute to corporate tax revenues in the host country.

How much American real estate is owned by China? ›

Chinese buyers comprise one of the largest groups of foreign buyers of residential property in the United States. Historically, between 20,000 and 40,000 residential properties were bought by Chinese nationals, but in 2022, both the sales volume and percentage of all foreign-bought properties declined.

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