Making the Case for International Engagement

To build a case for integrating international engagement into a region’s economic development strategy, Economic Development Organization (EDO) stakeholders must understand the significance and magnitude of FDI and exports within the U.S. and regional economies, as well as their potential to contribute to the community and internationally engaged companies.

Also provided in this section are data and sources of information on:

  • FDI profile and trends — what form does it come in, what countries does it come from, what sectors are most impacted.
  • Trade data — at the national, state, and regional level.

Armed with this information, EDOs can make the case for why developing a regional FDI attraction and export promotion strategy is worth considering.

In this Section:

The Rationale for FDI

The Rationale for Exports