The U.S. Bilateral Investment Treaty Program and Foreign Direct Investment Flows

Book excerpt: Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an increasingly important driver of the global economy. In the absence of an overarching multilateral framework on investment, bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and investment chapters in free trade agreements (FTAs), collectively referred to as "international investment agreements," have emerged as the primary mechanism for promoting a rules-based system for international investment. This book provides an overview of U.S. international investment agreements, focusing specifically on BITs and investment chapters in FTAs. It discusses key trends in U.S. and international investment flows, governance structures for investment at the bilateral and multilateral levels, the goals and basic components of investment provisions in U.S. international investment agreements, the outcomes of the Administration's model BIT review, and key policy issues for Congress.