USA Profile

Investing in the United States has many advantages. With more than 300 million people and the largest economy in the world, the United States is the most important market for any global company. The American workforce ranks as one of the best educated, most productive, and most innovative in the world. As a place to do business, the United States offers a predictable and transparent legal system, outstanding infrastructure, and access to the world’s most lucrative consumer market.

Economy: The United States has the largest economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of approximately $45,000. The systems of regulation and taxation in the United States give foreign investors ample operational freedom. Furthermore, the United States consistently ranks at or near the top of most major indicators as having an attractive business and investment climate. In its 2008-2009 Global Competitiveness Report, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked the United States first out of the 134 economies surveyed.

Consumer Market: Global companies operate in the United States to be closer to their suppliers and customers in a dynamic market. The United States accounts for 42 percent of the global consumer goods market, with a per capita disposable income of approximately $32,000. In addition, the United States maintains free trade agreements with 14 partner countries, with a combined GDP of approximately $4 trillion, giving foreign investors in the United States unparalleled access to diverse markets around the world.

Research and Development: The United States is the center for global innovation. According to RAND Corporation’s National Defense Research Institute, the United States is responsible for 40 percent of total research and development expenditures in the world. Furthermore, the United States employs nearly three-fourths of the living Nobel laureates, publishes over 60 percent of the world’s “highly cited publications”, and is responsible for nearly 40 percent of the “patented new technology” created within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Since 2000, the United States has been home to more Nobel Laureates in the sciences than all other countries combined.

Technology: American companies are leaders in technological advances and innovation. U.S. markets are open to products, ideas, and above all, innovation. Among Business Week’s Top 100 Information Technology companies, 33 are U.S. firms. In its 2007-2008 Global Competitiveness Index, the World Economic Forum ranked the United States first for innovation, labor market efficiency, and sophistication of business operations/strategy.

Intellectual Property Rights Protections: Investors from around the world come to the United States to invest in research and development and to commercialize the results of their creativity. The United States provides a strong regime of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement. Of the 183,000 patents granted by the U.S. Patent Office in 2007, almost 50 percent of the applications originated in a foreign country.

Education: Six of the top ten universities in the world are in the United States, according to the Times Higher Education Supplement. There are more than 4,000 universities and colleges in the United States. Furthermore, more than 580,000 international students were enrolled in American institutions in the 2006-2007 academic year. Many community colleges have tailored training programs to investors who locate facilities in their area. Federal, state, and local governments also spend billions of dollars on workforce training each year.

Productive Workforce: Investors in the United States gain access to a highly productive and adaptable workforce. According to a 2007 International Labor Organization report, “the U.S. still leads the world by far in labor productivity per person employed in 2006.” Furthermore, “the report also shows that the productivity gap between the U.S. and most other developed economies continued to widen.”

Transportation/Infrastructure: The United States has the largest paved roadway system, railway network, and number of airports in the world. Four of the top ten airports by air cargo volume are in the United States, including the busiest cargo airport in the world. The United States is also home to some of the world’s busiest international bulk cargo and container ports.

Hospitable Society: The United States is a friendly and hospitable country, where many foreigners live and invest. As a nation of immigrants, the United States boasts some of the largest cultural diasporas in the world. The United States is committed to affording all foreign investors fair and equitable treatment.