R 212042Z NOV 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI

UNCLAS STATE 123907 
 
 
TREASURY FOR DO/JMACLAUGHLIN, USDOC FOR ITA/JKOZLOWICKI 
USTR FOR JKALLMER, OPIC FOR RO'SULLIVAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV EFIN ETRD ELAB KTDB PGOV
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT, 2009 
 
-------------------------- 
SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST 
-------------------------- 
 
¶1.  All Posts/American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) worldwide 
should respond with their 2009 Investment Climate Statements 
via front channel cable and unclassified email by January 15, 
2009 This tasker has been cleared with regional bureaus, S/ES, 
and interagency. 
 
¶2.  In the context of U.S. bilateral and multilateral 
initiatives, the Investment Climate Statement (ICS) is a 
public document that provides essential information to 
Washington agencies and private investors and business alike 
about a nation's investment regime.  It is both a stand-alone 
document and also part of the USG's Country Commercial Guide 
to assist U.S. companies interested in doing business 
overseas. 
 
¶3.  The Departments of State, Commerce and Agriculture have 
elected to establish a deadline of January 15.  This deadline 
date will continue to apply for future years' submissions, 
which will be published on a calendar year basis (in January). 
Among other advantages, this will result in a deadline for the 
ICS that does not conflict with summer transfer season. 
 
¶4.  In addition to the information in paragraph 15, Department 
invites voluntary submission of particularly pertinent 
information.  For example, significant investor interest in 
one or more areas of the local economy, major changes in the 
investment code, or ongoing investment disputes having 
systemic implications might be reason for brief treatment. 
Such information can be especially helpful to potential U.S. 
investors, and also provides material Washington agencies can 
draw upon in preparing for bilateral meetings, etc. 
 
¶5.  The guidelines in paragraph 15 offer illustrative examples 
and questions covering the sort of issues that embassies/AIT 
should address.  Department recognizes that for many posts, 
not all of the questions in paragraph 15 will necessarily be 
relevant.  The ICS should be divided into the following 
categories: 
 
-- Openness to Foreign Investment 
-- Conversion and Transfer Policies 
-- Expropriation and Compensation 
-- Dispute Settlement 
-- Performance Requirements and Incentives 
-- Right to Private Ownership and Establishment 
-- Protection of Property Rights 
-- Transparency of the Regulatory System 
-- Efficient Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment 
-- Political Violence 
-- Corruption 
-- Bilateral Investment Agreements 
-- OPIC and Other Investment Insurance Programs 
-- Labor 
-- Foreign Trade Zones/Free Trade Zones 
-- Foreign Direct Investment Statistics 
 
END SUMMARY 
 
------------------------------------------- 
PURPOSE OF THE INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  One of the goals of U.S. policy is to encourage 
governments/authorities to adopt open investment regimes.  The 
ICS can serve as a basis for engaging host governments/ 
authorities in a dialogue on reforming and modernizing 
investment regimes.  It can also provide Washington agencies 
and Post/AIT with a framework for discussing with the host 
government/authorities and international financial 
institutions steps to improve the country/economy's investment 
regime.  The ICS also serves as the basic document to prepare 
USG positions in a variety of fora. 
 
¶7.  U.S. bilateral investment treaties (BIT) and investment 
chapters of U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs) incorporate the 
principles of national treatment, non-discrimination, liberal 
capital transfer, prompt and adequate compensation in the 
event of an expropriation, adequate dispute settlement 
mechanisms, and avoidance of trade-distorting performance 
requirements.  These principles, along with the other topics 
discussed in an ICS, will be important for those countries 
that desire to negotiate a BIT or FTA with the United States. 
As such, the ICS is especially useful to Washington agencies 
when the host country/economy has requested or begun 
negotiation of a BIT or FTA with the United States. 
 
¶8.  The ICS also provides information about the investment 
regime to potential U.S. investors in the host 
country/economy, to help them assess business risks.  It is 
therefore a key tool in our effort to support U.S. business 
overseas and is an essential addition to the broader 
information provided in the Country Commercial Guide.  The ICS 
is included in the country Commercial Guides also prepared by 
Posts/AIT and published by the Department of Commerce. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
PREPARATION OF 2009 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶9.  Embassies/AIT should update the Investment Climate 
Statement (ICS) in accordance with the instructions that 
follow.  Please note that the report begins with those issues 
affecting the initial decision to invest before moving on to 
the treatment of established investors.  While embassies 
should discuss at least briefly each of the major topics, the 
questions under any topic are offered only as illustrative 
examples of the issues that might aid the reader's 
understanding.  Embassies/AIT should not/not respond in 
question and answer format.  Obviously, some questions will be 
inappropriate for some economies.  This submission will meet 
Embassy's/AIT ICS reporting requirement for 2009 and will 
constitute the ICS portion of the Country Commercial Guide 
(CCG), which was tasked separately (see State 119784). 
 
¶10.  The ICS should be a frank, concise, self-contained 
statement, without reference to other material previously sent 
or published elsewhere.  We recognize that some Posts/AIT have 
previously submitted information similar to that requested 
here, and that some of this information is also provided by 
Posts/AIT through USTR's National Estimate Report on Foreign 
Trade Barriers.  Nevertheless, due to our need for 
standardization and desire to provide potential investors with 
comprehensive and easily accessible information, we ask that 
you resubmit the information and not simply refer to previous 
reporting.  Please coordinate responses among economic, 
commercial, political, and consular sections, as well as with 
representatives at Post of other agencies that may have 
relevant information (Treasury, Commerce, USAID, USDA). 
 
¶11.  We thank those Posts that have provided extensive 
coverage on investment disputes, which has helped ensure that 
such issues are noted in briefing materials for senior USG 
officials.   Posts/AIT should not/not provide details in the 
ICS of such ongoing disputes, but should instead give a clear 
description of the systemic problems of the investment regime. 
 
¶12.  Please send the ICS by unclassified cable to the 
Departments of State (Office of Investment Affairs -- 
EB/IFD/OIA), Treasury, Commerce, and USTR by January 15, 2009. 
Please include "OPIC", "KTDB" and "USTR" in the TAGS line, and 
list as addressees "USDOC WASHDC" and "CIMS NTDB WASHDC". 
Posts are also requested to insert the ICS into the CCG using 
the special instructions that will be provided in the CCG 
instruction cable (which will be tasked septel or reftel State 
119784).  Please do not overlook this requirement. 
 
¶13.  Finally, Posts should also send the ICS in Microsoft Word 
format via email on the unclassified system in Microsoft Word 
format to J. Nathaniel Hatcher (backup: Gregory N. Hicks). 
Please do not send the ICS in Microsoft Word format on the 
classified system.  We encourage Posts/AIT to distribute the 
final report to visiting business missions and resident 
representatives of the International Financial Institutions, 
and to Post the ICS on Post/AIT internet websites.  Please 
direct general questions on any of these instructions by e- 
mail or telephone to EB/IFD/OIA (J. Nathaniel Hatcher, 202- 
647-9453, or Gregory N. Hicks, 202-736-4365). 
 
¶14.  To the extent it is aware of classified investment 
climate information that could be of interest (for example, to 
OPIC in underwriting decisions), Post/AIT is encouraged to 
provide this information on the classified system as a 
separate cable for attention of State and other relevant 
agencies. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
QUESTIONS FOR THE INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
15.A.1.  Openness to Foreign Investment 
 
--  Describe the general government/authorities' attitude 
toward foreign direct investment. 
 
--  Cite the major laws/rules affecting incoming foreign 
investment through acquisitions, mergers, takeovers, and 
Greenfield (starting from nothing) investments. 
 
--  Does the judicial system uphold sanctity of contracts? 
 
--  Note any overall economic or industrial strategy that has 
discriminatory effects on foreign-owned investors. 
 
--  Are there general limits on foreign ownership or control, 
and if so, are waivers available? 
 
--  Does the country have one or more processes to screen 
foreign investments?  Describe the review process, including 
timing, legal authority for the reviews, and government 
entities that participate in the reviews? 
 
--  What are the criteria for determining whether an 
investment is subject to review (e.g., control, sector, value, 
etc.)?  Is filing mandatory? 
 
--  What is the purpose of the screening mechanism (e.g., 
national security effect, net economic benefit, consistency 
with national interest)? 
 
-- What are the possible outcomes of the review (e.g., 
prohibition, divestiture, mitigation agreements, etc.)? What 
are the criteria for determining the outcome? 
 
-- Who makes the decision on the outcome?  What is the appeal 
process, if any? 
 
-- Identify whether the same or any other entities review 
transactions for anti-competition concerns (whether domestic 
or international in nature). 
 
--  Identify any sector specific restrictions that apply to 
foreign investment.  What is the nature of the restriction 
(e.g., prohibition, equity caps, licensing, etc.)? 
 
-- In countries with investment climates that are generally 
closed, which sectors are more open to foreign direct 
investment (FDI)? 
 
--  Identify major sectors/matters in which foreign investors 
are denied national treatment (i.e. the same treatment as 
domestic firms) or MFN treatment (i.e. the same treatment as 
the most favored foreign investor). 
 
--  In countries/economies with ongoing privatization 
programs, how are foreign investors treated in those programs? 
At what stage are foreign investors allowed to participate in 
privatization programs?  Are bidding criteria clear and is the 
process transparent? 
 
--  Is there any discrimination against foreign investors at 
the time of the initial investment or after the investment is 
made, such as through special tax treatment, access to 
licenses, approvals, or procurement? 
 
-- Are there laws or regulations specifically authorizing 
private firms to adopt articles of incorporation or 
association which limit or prohibit foreign investment, 
participation, or control? 
 
-- Are there any other practices by private firms to restrict 
foreign investment, participation in, or control of domestic 
enterprises? 
 
--  Posts are encouraged to provide brief analyses of 
investment trends and the impact of policies (especially 
related to economic reform and investment liberalization 
efforts) and economic conditions on foreign direct investment 
in host countries/economies. 
 
A.2.  Conversion and Transfer Policies 
 
--  Are there any restrictions on converting or transferring 
funds associated with an investment (including remittances of 
investment capital, earnings, loan repayments, lease payments) 
into a freely usable currency and at a legal market clearing 
rate? 
 
--  Have there been any recent changes or are there plans to 
change remittance policies which have tightened or relaxed 
access to foreign exchange for investment remittances? 
 
--  Is there difficulty in obtaining foreign exchange? 
 
--  What is the average delay period currently in effect for 
remitting investment returns such as dividends, return of 
capital, interest and principal on private foreign debt, lease 
payments, royalties and management fees through normal, legal 
channels?  If delays over sixty days are common, what are the 
reasons for such delays? 
 
--  Can investors remit through a legal parallel market 
including one utilizing convertible negotiable instruments 
(such as dollar-denominated host government bonds issued in 
lieu of immediate payments in dollars)?  Is there a limitation 
on the inflow or outflow of funds for remittances of profits, 
debt service, capital, capital gains, returns on intellectual 
property, or imported inputs? 
 
--  Please note:  in obtaining this information, it is 
important to go beyond official bank and government sources to 
the actual experience of American or other foreign investors, 
since there may be discrepancies between the stated policy and 
its implementation. 
 
A.3.  Expropriation and Compensation 
 
--  For what reasons does the government/authority expropriate 
property?  Does the government/authorities offer compensation 
at the time of expropriation?  How have investors viewed the 
amount of compensation offered?  Are claimants thwarted in 
their efforts to have claims heard? 
 
--  Have there been any expropriatory actions in the recent 
past or policy shifts which would lead the Embassy/AIT to 
believe there may be expropriatory actions in the near future? 
Are there any tendencies of the host government/authorities to 
discriminate against U.S. investments, companies or 
representatives in expropriation? 
 
--  Are there certain sectors (e.g., mining, energy, banking, 
telecommunications, large land holdings, etc.) that are more 
at risk for expropriatory or similar actions? 
 
--  Are there laws that force local ownership?  If so, in what 
sectors? 
 
--  Please include instances of "creeping expropriation" or 
governmental action tantamount to expropriation, such as 
confiscatory tax regimes, that might warrant special 
investigation (particularly by OPIC prior to offering 
coverage). 
 
A.4.  Dispute Settlement 
 
--  Review the government/authority's record of handling 
investment disputes and summarize the extent and nature of the 
problem. 
 
--  Have there been investment disputes over the past few 
years involving U.S. or other foreign investors or contractors 
in host country?  Do these disputes reflect a pattern? 
 
--  Describe the country/economy's legal system.  Are there 
effective means for enforcing property and contractual rights? 
Is there government/authority interference in the court 
system?  Are judgments of foreign courts accepted and enforced 
by the local courts?  Does the country/economy have a written 
and consistently applied commercial law?  Does the 
country/economy have a written and consistently applied 
bankruptcy law?  If so, what rights do creditors (including 
foreign creditors) have under bankruptcy law?  Are monetary 
judgments usually made in the investor's currency or local 
currency? 
 
--  Does the government/authority accept binding international 
arbitration of investment disputes between foreign investors 
and the state/authority?  Do the courts recognize and enforce 
foreign arbitral awards?  Is international arbitration 
accepted as a means for settling investment disputes between 
private parties?  Is there a domestic arbitration body within 
the host economy? 
 
--  Is host country/economy a member of or does it plan to 
become a member of the international center for the settlement 
of investment disputes (International Centre for the 
Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) - also known as the 
Washington Convention) and/or the New York Convention of 1958 
on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards? 
If so, is there specific legislation providing for enforcement 
under the 1958 New York Convention and for the enforcement of 
ICSID awards? 
 
A.5.  Performance Requirements/Incentives 
 
--  Does the host government/authority maintain any measures 
that it has notified the WTO to be inconsistent with TRIMs 
requirements?  Does the host government/authority maintain any 
measures that are alleged to violate the WTO's TRIMs text? 
 
--  If there are performance requirements or incentives, are 
they applied uniformly to both domestic and foreign investors, 
and within those categories, are they applied systematically 
or on a case-by-case basis? 
 
--  Describe investment incentives (e.g., grants, tax 
deferrals, special access to credit, import quota exceptions, 
concessionary financing or pricing of land or other 
transferable assets) available to foreign investors and 
whether any favored treatment is given to foreign investors. 
Indicate to what extent incentives are specified in law or 
regulation or made available in an ad hoc manner.  Identify 
any performance requirements linked to incentives. 
 
--  Are performance requirements imposed as a condition for 
establishing, maintaining or expanding the investment, or for 
access to tax and investment incentives? 
 
--  Is there a requirement that investors purchase from local 
sources or export a certain percentage of output, or only have 
access to foreign exchange in relation to their exports? 
 
--  In the case of foreign investments, is there a requirement 
that nationals own shares, that the share of foreign equity be 
reduced over time, or that technology be transferred on 
certain terms? 
 
-- Does the government/authority impose "offset" requirements, 
whereby major procurements are approved only if the foreign 
supplier invests in manufacturing, R&D, or service facilities 
in the host economy related to the items being procured? 
 
--  Are there government/authority-imposed conditions on 
permission to invest, including location in specific 
geographical area, specific percentage of local content (goods 
and services) or local equity, substitution for imports, 
export requirements or targets, employment of host country 
nationals, legal requirements to use specific employment 
agencies, technology transfer, or the local sources of 
financing? 
 
--  Describe any enforcement procedures for performance 
requirements.  Include available information on host 
country/economy's stated intentions to maintain, increase or 
decrease requirements.  Are investors required to disclose 
proprietary information to governments/authorities as part of 
the regulatory approval process? 
 
--  Are U.S. and other foreign firms able to participate in 
government/authority financed and/or subsidized research and 
development programs on a national treatment basis?  If not, 
what are the restrictions?  Please provide as much detail as 
possible, e.g. any differences between de jure and de facto 
practice. 
 
--  Are there any discriminatory or excessively onerous visa, 
residence, or work permit requirements, or similar 
requirements inhibiting foreign investors' mobility? 
 
--  Identify discriminatory or preferential export policies 
and import policies affecting foreign investors.  Include if 
relevant tariff barriers, non-tariff barriers and other 
measures such as import price controls. 
 
A.6.  Right to Private Ownership and Establishment 
 
--  Is there a right of foreign and domestic private entities 
to establish and own business enterprises and engage in all 
forms of remunerative activity? 
 
--  Is there a right of private entities to freely establish, 
acquire, and dispose of interests in business enterprises? 
 
--  Is competitive equality the standard applied to private 
enterprises in competition with public enterprises with 
respect to access to markets, credit, and other business 
operations, such as licenses and supplies? 
 
A.7.  Protection of Property Rights 
 
--  Are secured interests in property, both movable and real, 
recognized and enforced?  (essentially, does the concept of a 
mortgage exist?)  And, if so, is there a recognized and 
reliable system of recording such security interests? 
 
--  Is there a legal system that protects and facilitates 
acquisition and disposition of all property rights, such as 
land, buildings, and mortgages? 
 
--  Is there adherence to key international agreements on 
intellectual property rights? 
 
--  Is there adequate protection for:  intellectual property, 
patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, semiconductor 
chip layout design? 
 
--  Have adequate steps been taken to implement and enforce 
the WTO TRIPS agreement?  Has host government signed and 
ratified the WIPO internet treaties? 
 
A.8.  Transparency of the Regulatory System 
 
--  Does the government/authority use transparent policies and 
effective laws to foster competition and establish "clear 
rules of the game"? 
 
--  Do tax, labor, environment, health and safety, and other 
laws and policies distort or impede investment? 
 
--  Are bureaucratic procedures, including those for licenses 
and permits, sufficiently streamlined and transparent, or is 
unnecessary red tape a problem? 
 
--  Are there informal regulatory processes managed by 
nongovernmental organizations or private sector associations, 
and if so, is there discrimination against foreign investors 
within such processes? 
 
--  Are proposed laws and regulations published in draft form 
for public comment?  Are there other opportunities for comment 
on proposed laws and regulations? 
 
--  Are legal, regulatory, and accounting systems transparent 
and consistent with international norms? 
 
-- Are there private sector and/or government/authority 
efforts to restrict foreign participation in industry 
standards-setting consortia or organizations? 
 
A.9.  Efficient Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment 
 
--  Do policies facilitate the free flow of financial 
resources to support the flow of resources in the product and 
factor markets? 
 
--  Is credit allocated on market terms?  Are foreign 
investors able to get credit on the local market? 
 
--  Does the private sector have access to a variety of credit 
instruments? 
 
--  Is there an effective regulatory system established to 
encourage and facilitate portfolio investment? 
 
--  What are the estimated total assets of the 
country/economy's largest banks? 
 
--  Is the banking system sound?  If not, what percentage of 
the total asset base is estimated as non-performing? 
 
--  Are there "cross-shareholding" and "stable shareholder" 
arrangements used by private firms to restrict foreign 
investment through mergers and acquisitions?  (This refers to 
a system in which corporations have long-term 
interrelationships with each other that result in few shares 
actually trading freely on the market.) 
 
--  With respect to private firms' defenses to prevent hostile 
takeovers, are such measures typically designed to protect 
against all potential hostile takeovers or primarily foreign 
hostile takeovers?  If the measures can be used against all 
hostile takeovers, are the measures in fact employed most 
commonly to prevent hostile takeovers by foreign investors? 
 
A.10.  Political Violence 
 
--  Have there been incidents over the past few years 
involving politically motivated damage to projects and/or 
installations?  (Note:  the time frame is intentionally 
flexible.  Posts should include any incidents that have had a 
continuing impact on the investment environment, 
disinvestment, higher risk premiums on capital, and increased 
insurance costs might be used as indicators of continuing 
impact).  Is the environment in host country/economy growing 
increasingly politicized such that civil disturbances could be 
more likely? 
 
--  Are there any nascent insurrections, belligerent neighbors 
or other politically motivated activities? 
 
(NOTE:  We recommend Posts/AIT ensure that responses to this 
section are consistent with the existing consular information 
sheets.  END NOTE) 
 
A.11.  Corruption 
 
--  Does the host country/economy have laws, regulations, and 
penalties to combat corruption effectively? 
 
--  If so, are they enforced?  Are such measures impartially 
applied or do foreign investors or any other group, such as 
local officials, receive disproportionate attention? 
 
--  Has the country/economy signed and ratified the UN 
Anticorruption Convention?  Is the country/economy a signatory 
of the OECD Convention On Combating Bribery? 
 
--  Is the country/economy a participant in any other local or 
regional anti-corruption initiative(s)? 
 
--  Have U.S. firms identified corruption as an obstacle to 
foreign direct investment? 
 
--  In what areas or sectors is corruption most pervasive: 
government procurement, transfers, performance requirements, 
dispute settlement, regulatory system, or taxation? 
 
--  Is giving or accepting a bribe a criminal act?  If so, 
what are the penalties? 
 
--  Are senior government officials taking anti-corruption 
efforts seriously, or are they part of the problem (if the 
latter, to what extent)? 
 
--  Is a bribe by a local company to a foreign official a 
criminal act? 
 
--  Can a local company deduct a bribe to a foreign official 
from taxes? 
 
--  What government agency is responsible for combating 
corruption? 
 
--  Do any international (e.g., Transparency International), 
regional or local nongovernmental "watchdog" organizations 
operate in the country/economy? 
 
A.12.  Bilateral Investment Agreements 
 
--  List countries/economies that have bilateral investment 
protection agreements (as opposed to investment insurance 
agreements such as OPIC) or treaties with host country/economy 
or other treaties on investments, including FTAs with 
investment chapters.  If available, please send a copy via 
unclassified pouch of any agreements or treaties that have 
come into force since the last ICS submission to EB/IFD/OIA, 
unless they have already been posted in full on the UNCTAD 
website. 
 
--  Does host country have a bilateral investment treaty or a 
bilateral taxation treaty with the U.S.?  Are there other 
taxation issues of concern to U.S. Investors? 
 
A.13.  OPIC and other investment insurance programs 
 
--  Describe status and potential for operation of the U.S. 
Overseas Private Investment Corporation's (OPIC) programs in 
host country/economy.  Is host country/economy a member of or 
plan to become a member of the Multilateral Investment 
Guarantee Agency (MIGA)? 
 
--  In the event OPIC should pay an inconvertibility claim, 
the local currency accepted by OPIC would be made available, 
pursuant to the bilateral agreement providing for the OPIC 
program, to the Embassy/AIT on a priority basis for USG 
expenses.  What is the estimated annual U.S. dollar value of 
local currency likely to be used by the Embassy/AIT and/or 
other U.S. institutions in the host country/economy?  At what 
exchange rate (e.g., official, financial, legal parallel in- 
country or parallel market in a third country) does 
Embassy/AIT purchase local currency?  What is the likely risk 
over the next year for devaluation or depreciation of that 
rate? 
 
A.14.  Labor 
 
--  Describe labor availability and note any shortages or 
surpluses of special labor skills.  Also describe general 
labor-management relations, host government/authority 
adherence to ILO convention protecting worker rights, 
differential treatment of labor in foreign trade zones or free 
ports, policies encouraging or requiring hiring of local 
nationals, and the effects of labor factors on use of 
technology. 
 
A.15.  Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports 
 
--  Describe laws and effective policies for any areas 
designated as duty-free import zones and whether foreign-owned 
firms have same investment opportunities as host 
country/economy entities. 
 
A.16.  Foreign Direct Investment Statistics 
 
--  Include data for recent years on value of foreign direct 
investment (position/stock, i.e., the total value in USD of 
foreign direct investment in place in the host 
country/economy, and annual direct investment capital flows) 
by country/economy of origin and by industry sector 
destination. 
 
-- Please note that statistics on deal approvals do not equate 
to foreign direct investment, especially since the projects 
may not fully materialize.  Such data on contracts for 
foreign-invested projects should either be omitted or 
accompanied by explanatory notes on the limited reliability of 
the data. 
 
--  Specify source of statistics and any significant 
characteristics or limitations of data (e.g. whether the stock 
data are valued at historical cost or at market). 
 
--  Provide comparable data on host country/economy's direct 
investment abroad (stock and flow data by country of 
destination), both in local currency and USD terms. 
 
--  To facilitate FDI country comparison, Post is also 
requested to estimate current FDI stock as a percentage of GDP 
and FDI inflows as percentages of GDP. 
 
--  Please provide a list of major foreign direct investments 
(with an estimate of current value in USD where available) by 
U.S. companies and other nations' companies.  Useful sources 
for this information may be the host country/economy Chambers 
of Commerce. 
 
¶17.  We appreciate that this is an extensive tasking, and 
thank you in advance for your efforts, particularly in view of 
the workload and resource constraints faced by most 
embassies/AIT.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if you 
have any questions or concerns (contact info at Para 13). 
 
 
¶18.  Minimize considered. 
 
 
RICE