The following is a cross-post from the International Trade Administration’s Tradeology Blog
Guest blog post by Felicia Pullam, Director of Outreach for SelectUSA
The 2016 A.T Kearney Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index surveyed global executives about their plans for foreign investment, and they ranked the United States at the top for the fourth year in a row. A.T. Kearney also asked executives to identify the two most important factors for deciding where to establish or expand their businesses. “Regulatory transparency and lack of corruption” tied for first place with the size of the domestic market and the cost of labor; each factor was chosen by 15 percent of respondents. The “efficiency of legal and regulatory processes” was just a few points behind at 13 percent.
The United States is a stable democracy with a transparent and predictable legal system, and we offer an even playing field to businesses operating within our borders, regardless of country of origin. Ranked in the top ten overall for ease of doing business by the World Bank, the United States ranks first among nations with populations over 100 million. When companies locate operations here, they find an environment that is friendly to businesses because we understand that FDI creates jobs, drives exports, and contributes to innovation. An estimated 12 million American jobs can be attributed to FDI through direct employment, sourcing, productivity growth, and other economic effects.
While the U.S. system is considered to be among the most transparent, we recognize that learning how to navigate a new regulatory system can be challenging for first-time investors or small and medium-sized businesses. SelectUSA assists companies to find the answers they need to move their investments forward by working with more than 20 U.S. federal agencies through the Interagency Investment Working Group. At the 2016 SelectUSA Investment Summit, participants will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from these federal agencies in person.
If you are coming to the SelectUSA Investment Summit, be sure to stop by the U.S. Government Pavilion, located near the Exhibition Hall. Representatives from SelectUSA and a wide variety of other agencies will be available to discuss federal programs and services. You will find experts who can walk you through data on the economy, population, and FDI trends. Officials will also be standing by to provide information on workforce and training programs, U.S. exports, supply chain, research and innovation, U.S. visas, and the Global Entry program.
The following agencies and offices are looking forward to meeting you:
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security ◦U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• U.S. Department of Labor
• U.S. Department of State
• U.S. Department of Transportation
• U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
• Export-Import Bank of the United States
• National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office
• U.S. Small Business Administration
• The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
• UNICOR
• U.S. Department of Commerce
• Bureau of Economic Analysis
• Bureau of Industry and Security
• U.S. Census Bureau
•Commerce Data Service
• Economic Development Administration
• Economics and Statistics Administration
• International Trade Administration, Industry and Analysis
• International Trade Assistance Programs
• Minority Business Development Agency
• National Institute of Standards and Technology, Manufacturing and Extension Partnership
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• SelectUSA Stats
If you aren’t able to attend the SelectUSA Investment Summit, we are standing by to assist all year round. Please visit http://www.SelectUSA.gov and contact us to learn how we can help investors and U.S. economic development organizations with business investments in the United States.