Foreign direct investment in the United States (FDIUS) totaled $44.2 billion in the third-quarter of 2020. This is up 81 percent from the previous quarter. Net equity flows were halved to $10.5 billion in third-quarter 2020 from $20.3 billion in the last quarter. Net equity flows this past quarter were at their lowest level over the past decade.
Foreign direct investment in the United States in 2019 was $282 billion, making it the fourth-strongest year for FDIUS over the past decade. However, it was dwarfed by two record-breaking years of FDIUS recorded in 2015 and 2016, at $484 billion and $480 billion, respectively. While the United States remains an attractive investment location, global competition for foreign investment dollars is increasing as more developing countries position themselves as investment destinations.
