New York, N.Y., October 16, 2012 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) today joined with six other business associations to launch a new online information clearinghouse, Investment Policy Central, highlighting the importance of an open climate for foreign direct investment in driving U.S. economic growth, trade and jobs.
“USCIB has long been a leading voice for open investment policies, on both inward and outward FDI flows,” stated USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “We are excited about this new website as way to spread our message, and those policies, more widely.”
Investment Policy Central is now live at www.investmentpolicycentral.com.
The business groups said Investment Policy Central will serve as a center of excellence for the most accurate, up-to-date information on the benefits of an open international investment climate. The site presents facts and figures on investment, highlights the benefits of global investment, debunks common investment myths and provides links to a wide range of resources on investment policy.
Investment Policy Central will feature timely, relevant content from experts on investment policy. Site organizers said they would welcome suggestions and input from companies, associations, organizations, think tanks, academics and other individuals interested in promoting an open international investment climate.
One of USCIB’s initial contributions to the site is an overview of recently updated guidelines for international investment from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the worldwide business body that is part of USCIB’s global network. The ICC guidelines elaborate a number of steps both governments and companies can take to ensure maximum benefits from international investment.
“USCIB will continue to lead a strong advocacy and education effort on behalf of open investment policies,” Robinson said. “Our message is simple: FDI, both inward and outward, is good for the U.S. economy, for our competitiveness in today’s global marketplace, for U.S. companies and for U.S. jobs.”
The United States is the world’s leading investor nation as well as the largest host country for foreign direct investment. Overall, global inward investment flows now approach $1.2 trillion, and sales of affiliates worldwide are just under $30 trillion, far in excess of world trade flows.
In addition to USCIB, the partner associations in the Investment Policy Central initiative include the Coalition of Services Industries, Emergency Committee for American Trade, National Center for APEC, National Foreign Trade Council, Organization for International Investment and U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
About USCIB:
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.
