News Release

FOR WIRE TRANSMISSION: 10:00 EDT, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2000
BEA 00-14

Foreign Investors' Spending to Acquire or Establish U.S. Businesses, 1999

 

   

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Ned Howenstine (202) 606-9845                                                                         BEA 00-14


  Foreign Investors' Spending to Acquire or Establish U.S. Businesses
               Increased Sharply to $283 Billion in 1999


     Foreign investors' spending to acquire or establish U.S. businesses increased 31
percent to a record $282.9 billion in 1999 after tripling to $215.3 billion in 1998,
according to preliminary estimates by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic
Analysis.  Prior to 1998, foreign investors' spending for new U.S. investments, which
includes both outlays made directly by foreign investors and outlays made through their
existing U.S. affiliates, never exceeded $80.0 billion.

The exceptionally high outlays in the last 2 years reflect a worldwide boom in merger
and acquisition activity, the continuing strength of the U.S. economy, and the increasing
number and size of large investments.  In both years, investments involving outlays of
$2 billion or more accounted for over 65 percent of total outlays.  In contrast, in the
previous 6 years, investments of this size had never accounted for more than 30
percent of total outlays.

     The increases in both 1998 and 1999 partly reflected sharp increases in
investments by British investors, whose outlays in both years (as in most recent years)
were larger than those of any other country.

     Some of the largest investments in 1999 were the acquisitions of companies in
communications-related industries, where deregulation and rapid technological change
have spurred growth and provided incentives for business combinations.  In 1999,
foreign firms acquired several major U.S. companies that were involved in
telecommunications services, Internet-based information services, and the
manufacturing of fiber optic, Internet, and other communications equipment.

     In 1999, as in 1998, several of the largest acquisitions involved exchanges of
stock.  In these exchanges, the shareholders in the acquired U.S. companies received
stock in the foreign parent companies as partial or total payment for the acquisitions.

By type of investment and type of investor

     Outlays to acquire existing U.S. companies, rather than to establish new U.S.
companies, accounted for $276.5 billion, or 98 percent of total outlays in 1999, well
above the 82-percent average for the preceding 5 years.  Over half of the outlays were
made by existing U.S. affiliates ($154.3 billion) rather than by foreign direct investors
themselves ($128.6 billion); however some of the outlays  by existing affiliates were
financed with funds provided to them by their foreign parents.

By source of funding

     Outlays financed by funds supplied by new or existing foreign parents, rather
than by existing U.S. affiliates, increased to $226.9 billion in 1999 from $159.4 billion in
1998.  These outlays are part of overall capital inflows for foreign direct investment in
the United States (FDIUS) as recorded in the financial account of the U.S. international
transactions accounts, and they contributed to an increase in FDIUS capital inflows to
$282.5 billion in 1999 from $193.4 billion in 1998.  (In addition to outlays from foreign
parents to acquire or establish new U.S. affiliates, capital inflows for FDIUS include
foreign parents' financing of their existing U.S. affiliates.  The estimates of capital
inflows for FDIUS are preliminary.)

By industry and by area and country

     By industry, outlays increased sharply in information, particularly in
telecommunications, in finance (except depository institutions) and insurance, and in
depository institutions.  Outlays decreased sharply in manufacturing, primarily because
total outlays for 1998 included exceptionally large investments in petroleum and coal
products manufacturing and in motor vehicle manufacturing.  Within manufacturing,
outlays in 1999 were substantial in computers and electronic products, particularly in
semiconductors and other electronic components, and in communications equipment.
(See note on new industry classifications.)

     By country of ultimate beneficial owner (UBO), investors in Europe -- mainly the
United Kingdom and France-- accounted for most of the increase in outlays in 1999;
European investors accounted for more than 70 percent of total outlays in both years.
Outlays by investors in "Latin America and Other Western Hemisphere" -- mainly
Bermuda -- and in "Asia and Pacific" -- mainly Japan -- also increased in 1999, but the
share of these areas in total outlays was comparatively small -- 12 percent and 4
percent, respectively.

Selected operating data

     U.S. businesses that were newly acquired or established by foreign investors in
1999 had total assets of $454.4 billion, compared with $274.3 billion for those acquired
or established  in 1998.  They employed 648,000 people, up from 625,000.

     The 1998 estimate of total outlays has been revised up 7 percent from the
preliminary estimate published last year.

                          *    *     *
     Estimates in this report are based upon a Bureau of Economic Analysis survey
that covers (1) existing U.S. business enterprises in which foreign investors acquired,
either directly or through their U.S. affiliates, at least a 10-percent ownership interest
and (2) new U.S. business enterprises established by foreign investors or their U.S.
affiliates, also using the 10-percent ownership interest threshold.  The 1998 and 1999
estimates  cover all newly acquired or established business enterprises.  Estimates for
years prior to 1998 cover newly acquired or established business enterprises with total
assets of over $1 million or ownership of at least 81 hectares (200 acres) of U.S. land.
Values for the small investments that were not covered prior to 1998 were negligible
and the estimates for 1998 and 1999 are therefore comparable with those for the earlier
years.

     Additional details on the new investments by foreign investors in 1999 will
appear in the June issue of the Survey of Current Business, the monthly journal of the
Bureau of Economic Analysis.  The preliminary estimates for capital inflows for foreign
direct investment in the United States were published in Christopher L. Bach, "U.S.
International Transactions:, Fourth Quarter and Year 1999," Survey 80 (April 2000):
146-192.  Revised estimates will be released on June 20 and published in greater detail
in the July issue of the Survey.

                          *    *     *

Note on new industry classifications

     The 1998 and 1999 estimates by industry reflect two changes in industry
classification.  First, the estimates are based on classifications derived from the new
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS); the estimates for the preceding
years are based on classifications derived from the Standard Industrial Classification
(SIC) system.  Second, petroleum is no longer treated as a separate major industry;
instead, the various petroleum-related activities are distributed among the major NAICS
industry groups to which they belong.

     To help assess the impact of these changes, estimates for 1998 are presented
on both the new (table 3A) and the old (table 3B) bases.   The share of total outlays
accounted for by manufacturing in 1998 is much larger in table 3A than in table 3B
because petroleum and coal products manufacturing is classified in manufacturing in
table 3A but in the special industry group "petroleum" in table 3B.   Because investment
in petroleum and coal product manufacturing was insignificant in 1999, the change in
treatment of petroleum-related activities has virtually no effect on the total for
manufacturing for that year.

                          *    *     *

     BEA's major national, international, regional, and industry estimates; the Survey
of Current Business; and BEA news releases are available without charge on BEA's
Web site:
                       

     STAT-USA maintains an Internet site that contains BEA estimates, the Survey of
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about STAT-USA, go to , or call (202) 482-1986. Subscriptions for
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months or $175.00 for 1 year.

      Summary BEA estimates are available on recorded messages at the time of
public release at the following telephone numbers:

       (202) 606-5306 Gross domestic product
           606-5303 Personal income and outlays
           606-5362 U.S. international transactions

     Most of BEA's estimates and analyses appear in the Survey of Current Business,
BEA's monthly journal.  The printed Survey of Current Business is available from the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC
20402. First class mail: Annual subscription $120.00 domestic. Second class mail:
Annual subscription $48.00 domestic, $60.00 foreign; single issue $17.25 domestic,
$21.56 foreign.


                         Table 1.--Investment Outlays by Type of Investment and Investor, 1992-99

                                                  [Millions of dollars]
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                       |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
                                       |   1992   |   1993   |   1994   |   1995   |   1996   |   1997   | 1998/r/  |  1999/p/
_______________________________________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________

Total outlays .........................    15,333     26,229     45,626     57,195     79,929     69,708    215,256    282,946
   By type of investment:
     U.S. businesses acquired .........    10,616     21,761     38,753     47,179     68,733     60,733    182,357    276,489
     U.S. businesses established ......     4,718      4,468      6,873     10,016     11,196      8,974     32,899      6,457

   By type of investor:
     Foreign direct investors .........     4,058      6,720     13,628     11,927     32,230     13,899    120,828    128,569
     U.S. affiliates ..................    11,275     19,509     31,999     45,268     47,699     55,809     94,428    154,377
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  p Preliminary.
  r Revised.


                      Table 2.--Share of Total Outlays by Size of Investment, 1992-99
                                                       (Percent)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                         |         |       |        |       |        |        |
                                   1992  |  1993   | 1994  | 1995   |  1996 | 1997   | 1998/r/| 1999/p/
_________________________________________|_________|_______|________|_______|________|________|________

Total outlays...................     100      100      100      100      100    100      100      100
  $5 billion or more ...........       0        0        0       (D)       0      0       55       53
  $2 billion - $4.9 billion ....       0       (D)      27       18       29     12       11       16
  $100 million - $1.9 billion ..      42       51       51       48       55     67       27       26
  Less than $100 million .......      58       (D)      22       (D)      16     21        7        5
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

   D  Suppressed to avoid disclosure of data of individual companies.
   p  Preliminary.
   r  Revised.


Table 3A.--Investment Outlays by NAICS-Based Industry of U.S. Business Enterprise, 1998-99

                              [Millions of dollars]
___________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                              |                |
                                                              |     1998/r/    |   1999/p/
______________________________________________________________|________________|___________

      All industries ........................................       215,256        282,946

Manufacturing ...............................................       149,243         74,195
  Food ......................................................         1,286            869
  Beverages and tobacco products.............................           442          1,501
  Petroleum and coal products................................        67,658            (D)
  Chemicals  ................................................         3,627          5,425
  Plastics and rubber products...............................         1,434          3,682
  Nonmetallic mineral products...............................           900          2,233
  Primary metals.............................................         2,454          1,751
  Fabricated metal products..................................           532          1,196
  Machinery .................................................         5,220         14,900
  Computers and electronic products .........................        17,861         32,376
  Electrical equipment, appliances, and components ..........           136          4,415
  Transportation equipment ..................................        37,177            (D)
  Other .....................................................        10,516          2,959
Wholesale trade .............................................         3,321          1,030
Retail trade ................................................         1,153          4,564
Information .................................................        13,399         93,475
  Publishing industries .....................................         9,856            (D)
  Motion pictures and sound recording industries ............            36              3
  Broadcasting and telecommunications .......................         2,841         80,073
  Information services and data processing services .........           667            (D)
Depository institutions .....................................         1,563         11,845
Finance (except depository institutions) and insurance ......        21,057         47,023
Real estate and rental and leasing ..........................         6,299          5,689
Professional, scientific, and technical services ............         4,289         11,355
Other industries ............................................        14,932         33,771
___________________________________________________________________________________________

  D Suppressed to avoid disclosure of data of individual companies.
  p Preliminary.
  r Revised.
  NAICS North American Industry Classification System

Source:  U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis


            Table 3B.--Investment Outlays by SIC-Based Industry of U.S. Business Enterprise, 1992-98

                                                      [Millions of dollars]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                             |         |         |         |         |         |         |
                                             |   1992  |   1993  |   1994  |   1995  |   1996  |   1997  |  1998/r/
_____________________________________________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________

      All industries .......................    15,333    26,229    45,626    57,195    79,929    69,708   215,256

Petroleum ..................................       463       882       469     1,520     1,059       762       (D)
Manufacturing ..............................     6,014    11,090    21,218    26,643    27,835    19,603    89,739
  Food and kindred products ................       404     1,294     4,567     3,802     1,145     1,949     1,728
  Chemicals and allied products ............     1,644     5,035     6,905    12,511     3,961     4,539     3,604
  Primary and fabricated metals ............     1,187     1,297     1,485       547     3,222     1,327     2,978
  Machinery ................................     1,002     1,778     1,867     4,489     4,355     4,788    21,495
  Other manufacturing ......................     1,778     1,686     6,393     5,293    15,151     7,000    59,934
Wholesale trade ............................       698       837     2,156     1,168     4,746     2,612     3,266
Retail trade ...............................       256     1,495     1,542     2,838     2,988       435     1,938
Depository institutions ....................       529       958     2,026     2,301     1,944     3,547     1,563
Finance, except depository institutions ....       797     1,599     2,195     7,837     8,676     7,019    16,607
Insurance ..................................       291     1,105       450       654     4,688     8,526     4,709
Real estate ................................     2,161     1,883     2,647     2,996     4,175     4,119     6,144
Services ...................................     2,023     4,162     7,163     5,881    15,292    12,187    10,099
Other industries ...........................     2,101     2,218     5,760     5,359     8,528    10,898       (D)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  D Suppressed to avoid disclosure of data of individual companies.
  r Revised.
  SIC Standard Industrial Classification

Source:  U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis


                              Table 4.--Investment Outlays by Country of Ultimate Beneficial Owner, 1992-99 /1/

                                                               [Millions of dollars]
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                              |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
                                              |   1992   |   1993   |   1994   |   1995   |   1996   |   1997   | 1998 /r/ |  1999 /p/
______________________________________________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________

     All countries ...........................    15,333     26,229     45,626     57,195     79,929     69,708    215,256    282,946

Canada .......................................     1,351      3,797      4,128      8,029      9,700     11,755     22,635     11,388
Europe .......................................     8,344     16,845     31,920     38,195     49,427     44,014    170,173    205,150
  France .....................................       406      1,249      1,404      1,129      6,021      2,578     14,493     24,579
  Germany ....................................     1,964      2,841      3,328     13,117     12,858      6,464     39,873     24,393
  Netherlands ................................     1,331      2,074      1,537      1,061      6,476     10,244     19,009     26,896
  Switzerland ................................     1,259        804      5,044      7,533      4,910      6,745      4,525      7,119
  United Kingdom .............................     2,255      8,238     17,261      9,094     14,757     11,834     84,995    110,115
  Other Europe ...............................     1,129      1,639      3,346      6,261      4,405      6,149      7,278     12,048
Latin America and Other Western Hemisphere ...     1,438        874      1,352      1,550      1,790        924     11,354     34,013
  South and Central America ..................     1,152        527        (D)      1,283        (D)        166        920      1,377
  Other Western Hemisphere ...................       286        347        (D)        267        (D)        758     10,433     32,636
Africa .......................................       (D)        (D)        (D)        (D)        (D)        (D)        212        (D)
Middle East ..................................       238      1,308        (D)        447        (D)        847      2,810        546
Asia and Pacific .............................     3,716      3,004      5,263      8,688     12,751     11,786      7,329     11,502
  Australia ..................................       164        129      1,522      2,270      2,222      7,600        (D)        (D)
  Japan ......................................     2,921      2,065      2,715      3,602      8,813      2,326      4,862      8,048
  Other Asia and Pacific .....................       631        810      1,026      2,816      1,716      1,860        (D)        (D)
United States /2/ ............................       (D)        (D)        201        (D)        (D)        (D)        743        (D)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  D  Suppressed to avoid disclosure of data of individual companies.
  p  Preliminary.
  r  Revised.
  1. For investments in which more than one investor participated, each investor and each investor's outlays are classified by
country of each ultimate beneficial owner.
  2. The ultimate beneficial owner (UBO) is the first person in the ownership chain of the acquired or established U.S. business,
beginning with the foreign parent, that is not owned more than 50 percent by another person.  The foreign parent is the first
foreign person in the ownership chain.  The country of UBO is often the same as that of the foreign parent, but it may be a
different foreign country or the United States.


Source:  U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis


                                                                    Table 5.--Selected Operating Data of U.S. Business Enterprises Acquired or Established,
                                                                             by NAICS-Based Industry of U.S. Business Enterprise, 1998-99

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                          |                             1998/r/                           |                              1999/p/
                                                          |_______________________________________________________________|________________________________________________________________
                                                          |          Millions of dollars        |            |            |           Millions of dollars        |            |
                                                          |_____________________________________|            |            |______________________________________|            |
                                                          |   Total   |   Sales    |    Net     | Thousands  | Number of  |    Total   |   Sales    |    Net     | Thousands  | Number of
                                                          |  assets   |            |   Income   |     of     |  hectares  |   assets   |            |   Income   |     of     |  hectares
                                                          |           |            |            | employees  |  of land   |            |            |            | employees  |  of land
                                                          |           |            |            |            | owned /1/  |            |            |            |            |  owned /1/
__________________________________________________________|___________|____________|____________|____________|____________|____________|____________|____________|____________|____________
      All industries ....................................     274,349      164,904        4,623        624.6      134,953      454,394      130,610        2,573        647.8      249,567

Manufacturing ...........................................     133,693      120,184        3,605        288.0       78,013       70,342       41,718          299        211.1       84,889
Wholesale trade .........................................       4,445        7,731          180         12.2          172        1,660        4,039          -23         11.6          (D)
Retail trade ............................................       1,355        2,443           66         14.4           64        5,317       14,150           20         91.5          (D)
Information .............................................      15,599        6,398         -473         30.7          122       39,674       11,857           89         49.1           47
Depository institutions .................................      11,382        1,035           69            H           43      119,832       10,877           20         12.6          (D)
Finance (except depository institutions) and insurance ..      72,579        8,005          971         14.1          263      166,239       15,480        1,975         30.2        1,044
Real estate and rental and leasing ......................      14,289        1,596          375            H        7,789        7,056        1,411          124          6.0        3,456
Professional, scientific, and technical services ........       6,389        3,467         -385         31.3          317        5,360        5,078         -313         35.8          (D)
Other industries ........................................      14,618       14,044          215        225.7       48,166       38,915       26,000          381        199.9      158,030
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

   D  Suppressed to avoid disclosure of data of individual companies.
   p  Preliminary.
   r  Revised.
  1.  One hectare equals 2.471 acres.  Thus, for all industries, the number of acres of land owned in 1998 and 1999 were 333,469 and 616,680, respectively.
   NOTES.--For newly acquired businesses, data cover the most recently completed financial reporting year.  For newly established businesses, data are projections for the first full
 year of operations.
   Size ranges are given in employment cells that are suppressed.  The size ranges are:  A--1 to 499; F--500 to 999; G--1,000 to 2,499; H--2,500 to 4,999; I--5,000 to 9,999; J--10,000 to
 24,999; K--25,000 to 49,999; L--50,000 to 99,999; M--100,000 or more.
   NAICS North American Industry Classification System

Source:  U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis