The Seattle/King County region is built on the strength of industries competing in the knowledge- and international-based economy. In fact, foreign investment accounts for 3.7% of the state’s private-industry employment with foreign-controlled businesses employing over 91,000 Washington workers. Combine that with the superb quality of life in the Pacific Northwest, a world-class arts scene, professional sports teams, and culinary delights from some of the country’s top chefs, and you’ve got a great place to do business where your employees will be happy to call “home.”
Our region’s strengths include:
strategic location with regard to the Pacific Rim
nonstop international flights
deep-water ports
reliable transportation connections to the rest of the U.S.
well-educated population (link)
strong business climate
vibrant international communities
vast experience in international trade
This strong combination of assets makes the Seattle/King County region one of the leading trade hubs on the West Coast of North America and a great place for foreign investment. Here are just a few of the foreign-owned businesses that are already taking advantage of all the Northwest has to offer:
Booking.com
Carburas
Novo Nordisk
HCL Technologies
Emirates Airlines
Hainan Airlines
BAE Systems, PLC
Hanjin Shipping Company, Ltd.
Solvay SA
Composites Atlantic Limited
Fokker Aerostructures
Gerdau SA
Bayer AG
Hamburg-Sud Group
Foreign Trade Zone #5
The Port of Seattle’s Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) #5 can give your company a competitive edge and help manage cash flow by deferring, reducing and in some cases eliminating customs duties and reducing overall operating costs.
“EB-5” Immigrant Investor Program
The US Citizenship and Immigration Service developed the Immigrant Investor Program—commonly referred to as “EB-5”—to encourage foreign investment that creates jobs and stimulates the U.S. economy in exchange for visa privileges. There are currently three (3) EB-5 projects in the Seattle/King County region: