Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of State releases today the first of its 2015 Investment Climate Statements, providing country-specific information and assessments on investment-related laws and other pertinent factors for doing business abroad. U.S. embassies and consulates prepare these public documents, which cover more than 175 foreign markets, to assist U.S. companies to make informed decisions regarding investment in foreign markets.

Investment Climate Statements include examples of countries’ expanding openness to foreign investment and investor protections, as well as relevant market barriers that may deter investment. Topics include host countries’ legal and regulatory systems, dispute resolution, transparency, intellectual property rights, state-owned enterprises, and labor-related issues.

The United States encourages foreign governments to embrace open, non-discriminatory, predictable and transparent investment policies. Foreign investment can create jobs, increase productivity, raise living standards and provide businesses with first-hand knowledge of a wider pool of consumers’ preferences. Foreign investment can also spark innovation and creativity. It is a mainstay of the global economy

U.S. economic growth increasingly depends on the ability of U.S. firms to compete successfully in overseas markets. More than 95 percent of the world’s consumers live beyond the borders of the United States, and approximately 18 percent of U.S. goods exports are sent by U.S. parent companies to their foreign affiliates. U.S. multinational companies account for half of all U.S. goods exports.