May 2011

Welcome to the latest update from Invest in America, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s program to promote foreign direct investment to the United States This monthly update is meant to provide a few quick points highlighting some activities of Invest in America.

Invest in America Outreach

Invest in America will participate in:

• June 9, 2011: The U.S. Solar Market: How to enter and grow your solar business in the United States – A workshop and networking reception by the U.S. Commercial Service in Munich and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), directly adjacent to the Intersolar Europe Trade Fair. For details, please contact Ed Fantasia at ed.fantasia@trade.gov or visit http://www.buyusa.gov/germany/en/solar_usa_reply.html.
• June 14 – 16: Invest in America Road Show organized by U.S. Commercial Service, Mexico – The three day seminar will be held in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara. It will highlight foreign direct investment in the United States to Mexico’s business community and feature exhibits from U.S. economic development organizations. For details, please email jeff.hamilton@trade.gov or visit www.buyusa.gov/mexico/en/investusa.html.
• June 16: USA Day in Barcelona: A workshop by the AmCham Spain and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce to promote the U.S. business climate to companies in Barcelona.
• June 28: The U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation (USIST) event at the BIO Global Convention will highlight the Israeli biotechnology sector and investment in the United States. For more information, please email eve@usistf.org or visithttp://usistf.org/03_A.html.

Recent Invest in America participation:

• May 3: Foreign Direct Investment in the U.S. – How Will It Impact the Future – a workshop organized by the Industrial Asset Management Council’s Spring 2011 Professional Forum in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• May 12: International Local Council Forum at the National Association of Realtor’s (NAR) Midyear Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo – The NAR expo will be held on May 9 – 14 in Washington, DC. The Forum will take place on Thursday, May 12 to highlight the industry’s global and multicultural outreach efforts.
• May 17: Sweetening the Deal: Agribusiness Investment in Brazil and the United States: How to do it – A seminar hosted by Baker & Hostetler, LLP to discuss market opportunities in Brazil and the United States will be held in New York.

Reports of Note

• The 2011 Invest in America Guide to Federal Incentives and Programs is now available at investamerica.gov. Now in its third year, this Invest in America publication provides a one-stop source for federal programs and resources available to investors across industry sectors and business activities. It features descriptions and follow up guidance for each program.
• Ernst & Young’s Issue 29 of the firm’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices was released in May, 2011. The United States holds steady as among the most attractive markets for investment in the renewable energy sector. In particular, the United States leads in market attractiveness in overall solar, photovoltaic (solar PV) and concentrated solar power (solar CSP) rankings.
• An American Open Door? Maximizing the Benefits of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment by Daniel H. Rosen and Thilo Hanemann is a special report by the Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. It provides a comprehensive overview of FDI from China to the United States, recommending key next steps to take advantage of this growing trend. The report was launched in May, 2011 with a keynote address by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke.
• In separate articles, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times provide trends and indicators of direct investment from China to the United States. Time’s interview with Wanxiang America Corporation’s President, Pin Li, provides insights into China’s interest in U.S. manufacturing. The Journal reports that firms from China have already invested in 25 greenfield projects in the U.S. and engaged in 34 acquisitions of U.S. firms. Further, they are expected to deploy between $1 trillion and $2 trillion in outbound FDI by 2020. Similarly, the Financial Times discusses trends in Chinese outbound FDI across business sectors from commodities to high-technology firms.

Data

• Inquiries to date in 2011: 108
• Ombudsman cases in 2011: 19

Invest in America’s ombudsman program has achieved a number of successes in working across the federal government to address investor concerns and issues involving federal agencies. If a foreign investor has a federal-level issue that is jeopardizing an investment in the United States, please contact Aaron Brickman at 202-482-5199begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            202-482-5199      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email Invest in America ataaron.brickman@trade.gov.

We invite you to connect with us through the “Invest in America” group on Linkedin.com.

Please address all comments and suggestions to info@investamerica.gov. For more information about Invest in America, please visit our website at www.investamerica.gov.