Newsroom and Latest Updates

The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest-profile event dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States, with a focus on the U.S. investment environment, industry trends, and creating business opportunities. Drawing more than 4,900 participants in 2023, the Investment Summit facilitates connections between investors, economic developers, and industry experts to seek opportunities available through U.S. investment. Attendees and speakers include senior government officials, C-Suite business executives, and industry leaders.

“This year we are excited to celebrate the 10th SelectUSA Investment Summit, marking a decade of work by the Commerce Department to provide a platform that encourages foreign direct investment and economic development across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “For 11 years now, the United States has ranked as the top destination for global companies to invest and the SelectUSA Investment Summit has been critical to this success. As we implement President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, the Investment Summit is a key way we can continue to bolster foreign direct investment and new international business partnerships in the U.S.”

The 2024 SelectUSA Investment Summit will offer exciting opportunities for all attendees with programming that will include plenary and academy sessions on key topics in the Biden Administration’s Investing in America agenda, including advanced batteries, Internet for All and U.S. infrastructure, clean energy, critical minerals, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, and the CHIPS Act.

Innovation and entrepreneurship will once again be at the forefront of the Investment Summit this year. The SelectUSA Tech program, which connects early-stage and startup technology companies to prospects for advancement in the U.S. market, will allow participants to exhibit their products and services at branded booths with the opportunity to upload a product and service demo video, apply to pitch in front of a panel of judges, participate in workshops and Investment Academy sessions, and other engagement opportunities.

The Select Global Women in Tech (SGWIT) Mentorship Network, geared towards international women founders, entrepreneurs, and executives in the technology sector, will see its fourth iteration of programming at the SelectUSA Investment Summit. SGWIT participants will be matched in sessions with an experienced mentor to help them develop a market entry strategy, tailor their product and promotion for success in the U.S. market, gain access to an exclusive networking platform, and hear from successful global founders.

About the SelectUSA Investment Summit

The SelectUSA Investment Summit brings together more than 4,900 participants, including EDO representation from over 50 U.S. states and territories, more than 2,300 business investors representing over 80 international markets, and industry experts providing insight and advice on how to successfully invest in the United States.

The SelectUSA Investment Summit has directly helped generate more than $98 billion in new U.S. investment projects, supporting over 81,000 jobs across the United States and its territories.

Information about the 2024 SelectUSA Investment Summit and registration can be found on SelectUSA’s Investment Summit website, www.selectusasummit.us.

About SelectUSA

The U.S. Department of Commerce-led SelectUSA program promotes and facilitates business investment into the United States by coordinating related federal government agencies to serve as a single point of contact for investor companies. SelectUSA assists U.S. economic development organizations to compete globally for investment by providing information, a platform for international marketing, and high-level advocacy. SelectUSA also helps business investors find the information they need to make decisions, connect to the right people at the local level, navigate the federal regulatory system, and find solutions to issues related to the federal government. For more information, visit www.trade.gov/selectusa

“This year’s record-setting SelectUSA Investment Summit has shown why the United States has remained the top destination for global investment for over a decade, and why the incredible investments we're making under President Biden's leadership, including through the CHIPS Act, Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help keep us at the top for the next decade and beyond,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to these investments and the work of the SelectUSA team, we are building on the $248 billion in investments by foreign-owned companies since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration to create good jobs for American workers and tremendous growth opportunities for our country and foreign businesses.”

SelectUSA is grateful for the participation of President Biden and White House Senior Officials Natalie Quillian, John Podesta, Mitch Landrieu, and Lael Brainard; Secretaries Blinken, Cardona, Buttigieg; Deputy Secretary Turk, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, and Export-Import Bank Chair Reta Jo Lewis.

SelectUSA also extends thanks to the participating 16 Governors and 21 Chiefs of Mission, all speakers, moderators, panelists, sponsors, exhibitors, and participants for contributing to the resounding success of the 2023 SelectUSA Investment Summit.

The 2023 SelectUSA Investment Summit by the Numbers:

• 4,900+ attendees
• Representation from 55 U.S. states and territories
• 83 international markets represented
• 2,300+ foreign investors
• 16 U.S. state and territory governors (AZ, DE, IN, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, NC, OK; TERR: AS, GU, MP, PR, and VI)
• Governors from all 5 U.S. territories attended in person for the first time ever
• 6 Cabinet members (Commerce, State, Energy, Education, Transportation, and USTR)
• Top White House Senior Advisors and Administration officials
• 230+ speakers
• Over 600+ economic development organization representatives attended
• 21 U.S. Ambassadors and Chiefs of Mission led foreign delegations to the Investment Summit

The 2024 SelectUSA Investment Summit will be held June 23-26, 2024, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, MD.

So it really is a pleasure for me to be here at the United States’ biggest investment summit with business leaders from every part of the world, including thousands of foreign investors and representatives from the American private sector.

A very warm welcome as well to the hundreds of city and state leaders here with us today. Thank you. Thank you for the critical role that you’re playing in attracting and welcoming new businesses into your communities and reminding private and public investors alike why it is always a good bet to invest in America.

So throughout this week, this group has heard from leaders across the U.S. Government on why the United States is the best place in the world to invest: our culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, driving new products and solutions at scale; a world-class system of universities and colleges, fueling ideas and fostering talent; our rule of law, protecting intellectual property, worker rights, fostering growth.

Today, what I thought I’d do is just briefly lay out how we’re building on these advantages to try to make the United States an even stronger and more attractive place to invest, to do business. And the short answer really is this: first and foremost, by investing in ourselves.

We’ve made, as you know, historic investments in our competitiveness with legislation like the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – transformative laws that make America an even better place to do business, with more resilient supply chains, a stronger and more inclusive workforce, more regional innovation and technology hubs, improved infrastructure, including new roads, rail transit, waterways, airports, as well as expanded fast and free broadband across our entire country.

But investment in ourselves is not a zero-sum proposition. Our approach is predicated on building a strong, resilient, and advanced industrial base with our partners around the world. We can’t build everything domestically, nor would we want to, because it’s to our collective benefit to have diversified supply chains across all of our partners.

We’re also trying to modernize our economic partnerships to better position us to address the challenges and opportunities of this moment that we share: from combating the climate crisis, to tackling corruption, to driving sustainable economic growth. New initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity will both protect our national and economic security, and that of our partners – creating closer connections between our countries, more opportunities for our businesses to invest and to thrive.

And we’re using existing bodies to produce results for our people, like the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, through which we’re coordinating our industrial strategies to be complementary to one another.

This approach is delivering results.

Since 2021, the private sector has invested more than $435 billion in businesses across the United States. A third of the investments announced since August have involved a foreign investor. There’s also record demand for our international business leaders to come to the United States, and that’s something that my department is working to facilitate.

So far this fiscal year, we have already issued nearly double the number of business visas that we did at this point last year, and we’ve also surpassed the number of business visas that were issued before the COVID-19 pandemic – so that entrepreneurs and investors can attend professional conferences, negotiate contracts, work with their associates, do the countless things that they do to run successful businesses.

As has been very evident this week, there is tremendous pent-up demand for more business travel, so we’re devoting more resources and streamlining our processes to help you secure business and work visas for yourself and for your employees.

Our Bureau of Consular Affairs stands ready to help. We’ve made it easier to apply for these visas, including by launching the Business Visa Center. That’s a one-stop-shop to help international investors access visas for business travel. Later this year, we’ll be piloting a program to make it easier to renew some of our temporary work visas from within the United States instead of having to traveling abroad. That’s going to save time and it’s going to reduce uncertainty for employers.

If you go back to 2011, since then this conference has helped bring in more than $80 billion in private investment. It’s supported more than 60,000 jobs in the United States while helping thousands of foreign businesses and investors enter the U.S. market, to the benefit of themselves, their economies, their fellow citizens back home.

These partnerships have also helped us advance critical foreign policy priorities – something that needless to say I’m focused on.

At last year’s SelectUSA Summit, the CEO of Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturer GlobalWafers, Doris Hsu, announced plans for a new state-of-the-art facility in Sherman, Texas. It will be the largest facility of its kind in the United States. GlobalWafers broke ground last December, and once completed, this $5 billion facility will support more than 1,500 jobs in the United States. But it will also fill a critical gap in our advanced semiconductor supply chain – crucial to preserving our competitiveness on a technology that is foundational to the 21st century economy.

Or consider the example of Delfast, a Ukrainian e-bike company that helped us confront the climate crisis by creating a zero-carbon transportation option. Thanks to the connections that they made with American partners at the SelectUSA Summit last year, as well as ongoing support from our embassy in Ukraine, Delfast was able to open its first store in the United States in September 2021 in Whittier, California. They are growing very quickly in the United States, with 70 percent of their customer base located in this country. In fact, Delfast has been so successful that they’ve announced plans to invest another $25 million in their U.S. operations over the next year, next several years. That will create another 200 jobs in Whittier. And we’re joined by representatives from dozens of Ukrainian startups similarly taking advantage of SelectUSA to thrive.

Now, I know Delfast just won the premier award that we issue from this gathering. My only disappointment was that in the long journey from my car through the back stage all the way to the stage, I didn’t get a chance to use one of their e-bikes, but maybe on the way out.

GlobalWafers, Delfast, hundreds of other companies have used this summit to gain the connections and the know-how to enter the United States market. The State Department stands ready to help your company do the same thing.

We have 200 Economics and Business Affairs officers in Washington, D.C., and 1,500 economic officers in our embassies and consulates around the world, across more than 150 countries. All have the responsibility to help foreign businesses find the strongest investment opportunities here in the United States. They, along with our colleagues in the Department of Commerce’s Foreign Commercial Service, will be able to help you navigate legal frameworks in the United States, connect you with potential partners, and answer any questions that you’ve got along the way.

So to our international visitors here today: The United States is very much open for business, and we hope you choose to invest your time and your talents with us.

And to the U.S. businesses that are here today: We are standing by to continue supporting everything that you’re doing as you grow your businesses both here in the United States and around the world.

If the innovation, the dynamism on display here this week is any indication, we have a lot to look forward to, a lot to be optimistic about. So to each and every one of you, thank you for being here. Thank you for taking part. We look forward to doing a lot of good business together in the years ahead. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce today announced additional speakers and programming for the 2023 SelectUSA Investment Summit scheduled for May 1-4 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.

Hosted by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, this year’s notable speaker line-up will now include White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian and Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation John Podesta in an armchair discussion of how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda will transform the U.S. economy, create unparalleled business opportunities, and enrich communities across U.S. states and territories.

“We are proud that the U.S. continues to be the world’s top FDI destination for 11 years running and that SelectUSA has continued to expand and support that position through its resources and innovative programs,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “We’re excited to come together at this year’s Investment Summit to celebrate the successful ventures of the SelectUSA investment partners and forge new paths for future growth happening under President Biden’s economic agenda.”

Since the beginning of the Biden administration, companies have committed over $435 billion in private sector investments across the United States – one third of which is attributed to foreign investment – and create good-paying jobs in industries that will boost U.S. competitiveness, rebuild infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, and help build a clean energy economy.

Joining the impressive list of speakers and participants at the 2023 SelectUSA Investment Summit:

Cabinet Representation from United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and recorded remarks from Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

Additional Governors participating include Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, Maine Governor Janet Mills, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt.

Newly added Company Executives slated to speak on the main stage include:

• Jimmy Etheredge, CEO, Accenture North America
• Sarah Friar, CEO, Nextdoor
• Ajay Kochhar, President and CEO, Li-Cycle
• Zvi Lando, CEO, SolarEdge
• Michael Suess, Chairman of the Board of Directors, OC Oerlikon

The Investment Summit will also feature:

• Foreign Direct Investment Announcements: in addition to the notable speaker line-up, the conference serves as a major platform for global companies making U.S. investment announcements. This year, SelectUSA anticipates over half a billion dollars in investment deals to be announced at the event.
• SelectUSA Tech Startup Pitching Challenge: The Investment Summit also provides early-stage startups an opportunity to participate in Shark Tank style pitching sessions with leaders from the Venture Capital community. Finalists from each session will pitch in the World Finals Session on the SelectUSA Tech Pavilion stage in front of an all-female panel of judges from the VC community.
• Select Global Women in Tech Entrepreneurship Support: female business founders have an opportunity to participate in the Select Global Women in Tech Mentorship Network which connects international women tech entrepreneurs with mentors in the U.S. market.

A full list of confirmed speakers and the current agenda is available online at www.selectusasummit.us.

The 2023 Investment Summit at A Glance:

• The highest-profile event dedicated to promoting FDI in the United States.
• 52+ U.S. States and territories participating.
• 4,000+ attendees expected.
• 80+ markets represented.
• 1,900+ foreign investors.
• 17 U.S. Governors participating – including Governors from all 5 U.S. territories in person for the first time and the highest number of Governors attending in-person.
• Top White House Senior Advisors and U.S. Cabinet Members in attendance.
• 250+ speakers.
• Over 600+ economic development organization representatives attending.

MEDIA REGISTRATION: Accredited journalists must register online at: https://www.selectusasummit.us/Applications/Press-Pass-Application

For media related inquiries and troubleshooting, please email: Ameer.Alsamman@trade.gov.

Hosted by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, notable speakers presenting at the conference include White House Senior officials, Cabinet members, U.S. governors, thought leaders and C-suite executives from U.S. and global companies.

“For over a decade, the U.S. has ranked as the top destination for international companies to set down roots and achieve their expansion goals,” said Secretary Raimondo. “The United States’ diverse landscapes, vast resources, skilled workforce, and spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship are just a few of the reasons why investors choose to settle here. I look forward to another SelectUSA Investment Summit, focused on celebrating our FDI accomplishments, deals across all 56 states, territories, and District of Columbia, and the exchange of knowledge between public and private sector leaders.”

U.S. Government representatives joining Secretary Raimondo include Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, White House National Economic Council Director Dr. Lael Brainard, White House CHIPS Coordinator Dr. Aaron Chatterji, White House Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, and President and Chair of the Export–Import Bank of the United States, Reta Jo Lewis.

Also confirmed to attend are governors from the following states and territories:

• American Samoa Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga
• Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs
• Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands Governor Arnold Palacios
• Delaware Governor John Carney
• Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero
• Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb
• Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
• Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy
• Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
• Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi
• U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan

The SelectUSA Investment Summit will be a platform for never-before released announcements by foreign investors, detailing their investment and expansion plans in the United States.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Anish Shah, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Mahindra
• Revathi Advaithi, CEO, Flex
• Megan Myungwon Lee, Chairwoman & CEO, Panasonic Corporation of North America
• Andrea Albright, Executive Vice President for Sourcing, Walmart
• Kelvin Huang, President North America, Delta Electronics
• Wayne A. I. Frederick, President, Howard University

The United States has been ranked as the top destination for foreign direct investment for the eleventh consecutive year according to Kearney’s Global Business Policy Council’s 2023 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index.

The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest-profile event dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States. More than 70 international markets have registered for this year’s event. The Investment Summit has directly generated more than $80 billion in new U.S. investment projects, supporting over 61,000 jobs across the United States and its territories. Historically, the Investment Summit attracts more than 1,200 business investors from approximately 75 international markets who join economic development organizations (EDOs) from almost all U.S. states and territories.

A full list of confirmed speakers and the current agenda for the 2023 SelectUSA Investment Summit is available online at www.selectusasummit.us.

Media Registration Now Open

REGISTRATION: Accredited journalists must register online at https://www.selectusasummit.us/Applications/Press-Pass-Application.

For media related inquiries and troubleshooting, please email: Ameer.Alsamman@trade.gov.

The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest-profile event dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States. Traditionally drawing more than 3,000 attendees, the Investment Summit has received its reputation for being the top event in the United States for FDI promotion as it serves to facilitate connections between investors, companies, economic developers, and industry experts to seize opportunities available through U.S. investment.

"We are excited to bring SelectUSA back to National Harbor to establish connections, have crucial conversations on foreign direct investment, and create a space for participants to learn why the U.S. remains the most attractive place in the world for businesses to invest and grow.” said Secretary Gina Raimondo. “For 10 years and counting, the U.S. has ranked as the top destination for global companies to invest and SelectUSA is critical to this success. I look forward to returning in May to join a cohort of gifted public and private sector leaders to discuss a wide range of opportunities for partnership and investment here in the U.S."

The Investment Summit focuses on the U.S. investment environment, industry trends, and creating business opportunities. Additionally, the Investment Summit features senior government officials, C-Suite business executives, and various industry leaders.

The 2023 SelectUSA Investment Summit will offer exciting opportunities for all attendees with innovation and entrepreneurship at the forefront. The SelectUSA Tech program, which connects early-stage and startup technology companies to prospects for advancement in the U.S. market, will allow participants to exhibit their products and services at branded booths with the opportunity to upload a product and service demo video, apply to pitch in front of a panel of judges, participate in workshops and Investment Academy sessions, and other engagement opportunities.

The Select Global Women in Tech (SGWIT) Mentorship Network, geared towards international women founders, entrepreneurs, and executives in the technology sector, will see its third iteration of programming at the SelectUSA Investment Summit. SGWIT participants will be matched in sessions with an experienced, successful mentor to help them develop a market entry strategy, tailor their product and promotion for success in the U.S. market, gain access to an exclusive networking platform, and hear from successful global women founders.

The Biden Administration has taken ambitious action to tackle climate change and set the U.S. on the path to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. SelectUSA recognizes the importance of global climate priorities and has organized sessions at the 2023 Investment Summit to bring together stakeholders in key clean energy and sectors such as advanced batteries, energy storage, civil nuclear energy, offshore wind, and semiconductors.

The SelectUSA Investment Summit draws more than 3,000 attendees and has directly impacted more than $59 billion in new U.S. investment projects, supporting over 50,000 jobs across the United States and its territories. Historically, the Investment Summit attracts more than 1,200 business investors from approximately 80 international markets who join economic developers from almost every U.S. state and territory.