Investment is at the core of the U.S.-UK relationship.
- The UK is the single largest investor in the United States. British companies have invested more than $560 billion in the U.S., accounting for more than 15% of all inbound foreign direct investment (FDI).
- The U.S. is also the largest investor in the UK. American firms have invested nearly $758 billion in the British market, nearly a quarter of their total investment in Europe, and more than 12% of all U.S. FDI worldwide. The UK is the second largest recipient of U.S. investment worldwide (behind only The Netherlands).
Investments translate into American and British jobs.
- More than 1.25 million Americans work for British companies in America, and over 1.5 million Britons are directly employed by U.S. affiliates. Bilateral trade and investment support millions more jobs indirectly.
- Every American state has jobs that are connected to or originated from an investment by a UK company. These jobs are high quality and highly paid—in manufacturing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, information technology, and financial services, among other sectors.
- U.S. jobs supported by British investment are high quality and highly paid—in manufacturing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, information technology, and financial services, among other sectors.
Trade ties are also strong, with room to grow.
- The UK is the United States’ 7th largest trading partner and the 5th largest export destination for American goods and services.
- 42,000 American firms export to the UK and more than 7500 have operations there.
- Overall, the U.S. enjoyed a net surplus of $18.9 billion of trade in goods and services in 2018.
For additional trade and investment analysis, see the U.S. Chamber's Report, Transatlantic Economy 2019, https://www.uschamber.com/report/the-transatlantic-economy-2019
