Foreign Direct Investment in the United States

Foreign Direct Investment (fdi) in the International Business Landscape

Definition of Foreign Direct Investment (fdi) in the context of U.S. international business and public trade policy: Acquisition of foreign assets for the purpose of controlling them; under U.S. regulations, FDI occurs when an investor owns at least 10 percent of the voting stock of a foreign company.

Foreign Direct Investment (fdi) in the International Business Landscape

Definition of Foreign Direct Investment (fdi) in the context of U.S. international business and public trade policy: Direct investment in business operations in a foreign country.

Investment with the European Union

The United States government (under the Obama Administration) seek to provide and maintain meaningful procedures for resolving disputes between U.S. investors and the EU and its Member States that are in keeping with the goals of expeditious, fair and transparent dispute resolution and the objective of ensuring that governments maintain the discretion to regulate in the public interest.

The United States and the EU have the world’s largest investment relationship. Transatlantic investments total $4 trillion, directly supporting seven million American and European jobs, with millions more in indirect jobs. These investments help our manufacturing sector, generating 18 percent of U.S. exports to the world. Furthermore, jobs created by foreign investment tend to pay better than other private sector jobs. That is why we need to build on these achievements and help generate more jobs, growth, and exports through certain, clear, and fair investment rules that encourage even more investment in job- and export-supporting economic activity.

For more information on investment, visit www.ustr.gov/issue-areas/services-investment/investment.