Aussie expertise exported to the United States

Australians are taking on the United States - exporting their expertise to establish and grow businesses.

There are more than 1500 Australian businesses in the United States, including more than 400 parent companies.

Today I release a landmark report, which sheds light on the significant impact Australian investors are making in the United States. The report, by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), is the first of its type; presenting a data-rich snapshot of Australia's expansive investment footprint in this major market.

California has the most diverse portfolio of US businesses with Australian investment, with 279 spread across 83 different industries, including manufacturing, retail, finance, wine production and investment and construction. Texas comes in second with 276 businesses across 56 industries and New York is in third with 222 businesses across 49 industries.

Among those flying the flag of Australian ingenuity and enterprise are well-known names such as Westfield, Brambles, Austal, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Macquarie Infrastructure, WorleyParsons and Atlassian. Joining these giants are newcomers such as E.P. & L.P. The popular Hollywood bar and restaurant is owned by Australians, was designed by an Australian architect and features Australian produce prepared by Australian head chef Louis Tikaram.

Australians have a long history of investing in the United States and welcoming American investment to our shores.

The United States is both our number one source and destination for investment – with the two-way stock worth $1.45 trillion at the end of 2015. Since the Australia – United States Free Trade Agreement came into force in 2005, two-way investment stock has grown by 128 per cent.

The report, Australia's Investment Footprint in the US, is available on the Austrade website.