WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States has maintained the top position among 25 nations in the A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index despite policy proposals by President Donald Trump, according to the firm’s 2017 rankings released on Tuesday.
"The United States takes the top spot for the fifth year in a row. Its large market and business-friendly environment are enduring sources of investor interest, even amid the uncertainty associated with President Trump's policy proposals," the report stated.
The United States scored 2.03 out of a possible 3.0 in the investment index, compared with 2.0 in 2016.
The report noted that investors will watch Trump’s stated promises of forging new bilateral trade agreements and negotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), policies that may threaten short-term investment.
"But it is possible that President Trump’s ‘buy American’ and ‘make American’ rhetoric is motivating investors to gain a toehold in the US market as foreign companies may see FDI into the United States as the best way to ensure access to the large and growing US market," the report added.
Since taking office in January, Trump has already ordered the United States to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and has signaled he will begin renegotiating NAFTA. The US-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is also in jeopardy.
A.T. Kearney is a global management consulting firm with offices in more than 40 countries.
