The United States has the largest economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of
approximately $46,400 and a population of over 310 million people. The systems of regulation and taxation in the United States give foreign investors ample operational freedom. The 50 states, District of Columbia, and the 5 U.S. territories comprise a continental economy in which virtually every industrial sector has a major presence. It is a vibrant and multifaceted U.S. economy.  There is arguably much more opportunity for success in the U.S. than in any other country in the world because of its size, dynamism, and international linkages that characterize the U.S. economy,. The sheer size of the U.S. market means that firms even with a small total market share can realize significant revenue streams and profits in the U.S. U.S. firms have easy access to export markets since the U.S. is one of the most internationally engaged economies in the world.
The U.S. has a world-leading Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime. Talented
people and innovative companies are more successful in the United States than many other countries in the world because their innovations are strongly protected, enabling them to reap greater rewards. Investors from around the world come to the U.S. to invest in research and development and to commercialize the results of their creativity. The U.S. provides a strong regime of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement. Of the 167,000 patents granted by the U.S. Patent Office in 2009, nearly 51 percent of the applications originated in a foreign country. Many U.S. and foreign firms partner with America’s world-class universities to develop and profit from innovations in engineering, bioscience, and physics.
The overall quality and fairness of the U.S. legal system is widely recognized as one of the great strengths of the United States. This outlook is not just a domestic view, but one that is recognized internationally. It was the first nation founded on principles of limited self-government. Rejecting monarchy, the founders created a Federal Government with three separate branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Each branch, while performing its own assigned function, holds the other two branches in check. This structure is closely connected with and, in many ways, found its expression in the U.S. legal system, which draws on principles of English common law regarding a Federal system, where power and sovereignty are shared with the various State governments.
The United States provides potential investors with a variety of investment opportunities, and chances of an investment’s success are greatly increased when companies carry out due diligence and market research. SelectUSA’s website provides Industry Snapshots that give an overview of opportunities in specific U.S. sectors. General information on industry trends within the U.S. can be found at the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ (BEA) Industry Economic Accounts Page. A breakdown of inward foreign direct investment by industry can also be found through the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Examining exports and imports over time can also give a sense of industry trends. U.S. export and import data can be found at TradeStats Express, through the International Trade Administration. Through higher education and workforce training, the U.S. cultivates one of the most skilled labor markets in the world. Seven of the top ten universities in the world are located in the United States,which is home to more than 4,000 universities and colleges. Moreover, the U.S. attracts students from across the globe, and more than 670,000 international students were enrolled in
American institutions in the 2008-2009 academic year. There is an extensive network of community colleges that can help firms train their workforce for new
job skills in an ever-changing marketplace, many of which 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. Importantly, the U.S. also has a large pool of skilled workers in the manufacturing sector.
The U.S. is well-connected to the world via its network of ports, airports, roads and railways. In 2007, 45 percent of bilateral trade traveled by water, 25 percent by air, and the remainder by surface and additional modes. U.S. cities, regions and rural areas are connected by over 47,000 miles of interstate highway and 140,000 miles of freight railroad, as well as tens of thousands of miles of state and local highways and roads. As of 2007, the U.S. had 565 certificated civil airports and was home to ten of the world’s top 20 busiest passenger airports and seven of the world’s top 20 busiest cargo airports in 2009. U.S. ports processed over 29 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2007, with the ten largest ports handling 90% of all shipments. U.S. transportation is highly intermodal, with hubs connecting the rich networks of road, rail, ports and airports that crisscross the country. (Source Select USA)
