What to expect at SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026?
The SelectUSA Investment Summit is regarded as the premier U.S. business conference dedicated to US market entry and foreign direct investment (FDI). Organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce through its SelectUSA program, the Summit convenes global enterprises, investors, government officials, and economic development organizations (EDOs) in one centralized platform (SelectUSA).
Represented each year are more than 5,000 visitors, whereby more than 2,700 are international delegates, over 1,000 are economic development organizations and their representatives, and more than 1,500 are service providers, government and advisors (US Department of Commerce).
As a professional services provider and advisor, US Trade Consult attends SelectUSA to engage as early as possible with foreign enterprises and government agencies looking to do business and invest in the United States.
Many attendees are looking to navigate opportunities in the US which include:
- Site selection and local strategy
- Government contracting and procurement
- Regulatory pathways
- Incentives and financing
- Workforce development solutions
- Strategic partnerships and supply chain integration
One might consider SelectUSA as a “one-stop-shop” for market entry, considering all 50 states provide representation as they bid for projects.
How effective is SelectUSA in generating deal flow?
The data demonstrates a strong and measurable impact whereby more than $250 billion in investment projects are often linked to SelectUSA which contributes to approximately 130,000 new jobs (About SelectUSA). Attending the show is just the start. The real opportunity takes shape with post-conference follow up activities and execution. The conference serves as a lead generator, but it is not an immediate deal-closing event. Foreign direct investment can typically have long lead times of 6-36 months before closing a deal.
For service providers like US Trade Consult, success depends on
- Speed of engagement and follow up
- Sector knowledge
- Key local relationships
- Execution capability
The role of US Trade Consult in market entry, trade and investment
Foreign companies looking to do business in the United States require more than just a warm contact. They require reliable local execution partners who can convert opportunities into revenue streams. Local partners know the market, have the inside connections and understand how business is done in the US. This often takes the form of identifying and capturing customers, which in turn creates a sale or a deal. Those companies looking to invest and expand will also require access to investment capital. Whether it is searching for customers, distributors, suppliers, investors or new sales, foreign companies need to have boots on the ground to ensure relationship building, business continuity and networking. US Trade Consult represents foreign companies as the local expert for US market entry, trade, investment and business expansion. Taking a performance-driven approach, US Trade Consult steers operational business development activities for foreign clients that leads to growth.
What purpose does SelectUSA serve?
The United States remains the number one global FDI destination due to having the largest capital and consumer markets, policy incentives and steering geopolitics. Hence, the SelectUSA Investment Summit capitalizes on the market strengths of the US economy. Inbound foreign direct investment to the US has been volatile over the last 20 years due to global economic events such as the financial crisis from 2008-2009 and the COVID Pandemic in 2020. Nevertheless, the US remains the scale-up nation due to the sheer size of the market and active investment capital markets. US economic policies like the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act have been implemented post-2020 as recovery measures aimed at reshoring and bringing manufacturing back to the United States. Texas has been a leading state in the US for foreign direct investment due to its attractive business climate, competitive incentives and focus on critical infrastructure sectors such as semiconductors, energy, petrochemicals, defense, aerospace and healthcare.
(Source: U.S: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2025).
Recent news around the automotive industry
The Trump Administration has given new meaning to the term “geopolitics” especially in regards to the Administration’s import strategy, taxes and tariffs. As of May 1, 2026, Trump announced plans to raise tariffs on cars and trucks imported from the European Union from 15% to 25% (Reuters). Make no mistake about it, these measures are intended to drive automobile manufacturing and the supplier network into the United States. If cars and trucks are produced in the US, there will be no tariff on European manufacturers.
This creates a predicament for European automobile manufacturers and their suppliers. Take Bosch for example, “the world’s largest automotive components supplier has reported a financial loss for the first time in 17 years” (Azernews). Net losses from end of year 2025 amounted to €400 million, whereby in 2024 Bosch reported net profit of €1.3 billion. Bosch claims the downturn is due to restructuring, employee reduction programs, pressure from tariffs, increased production costs, currency fluctuations and decline in competitiveness in certain product segments. Alone the automotive business is expected to cut 22,000 jobs followed by more reductions in the power tool business and its BSH home appliance subsidiary. Although Bosch forecasts a recovery for 2026, the problem highlights the pressure across the industrial base in Germany amongst major suppliers (Azernews).
One thing is for sure, the sentiment of offsetting production into the United States will continue to increase. There is simply no other choice for competitive companies and multinationals. The Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers will have to follow. Noting the flat growth across many markets in Europe, companies are looking for growth markets and the US is the scaling nation. The amount of interest in business summits like SelectUSA proves the continued interest of foreign investors and enterprises to land and expand in the US. US Trade Consult will be there to assist companies with their expansion strategies in the US.