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NEWS RELEASE
EMBARGOED UNTIL RELEASE AT 8:30 A.M. EDT, WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014
Christopher A. Gohrband:
(202) 606-9564
BEA 14-12
Elena L. Nguyen:
(202) 606-9555
U.S. Net International Investment Position: End of the Fourth Quarter and Year 2013
Fourth Quarter
The U.S. net international investment position at the end of the fourth quarter of 2013 was
-$4,577.5 billion (preliminary) as the value of foreign investments in the United States exceeded the
value of U.S. investments abroad (chart 1, table 1). At the end of the third quarter, the net position was
-$4,171.8 billion (revised). The $405.7 billion decrease in the net position reflected a $777.8 billion
increase in the value of foreign-owned assets in the United States that exceeded a $372.1 billion
increase in the value of U.S.-owned assets abroad.
Chart 2. Foreign-Owned Assets in the United States and
U.S.-Owned Assets Abroad, 2006:IV-2013:IV
(Quarterly, not seasonally adjusted)
Billions of dollars
30,000

Chart 1. U.S. Net International Investment Position, 2006:IV-2013:IV
Billions of dollars
0
-500

Foreign-owned assets in the United States
25,000

-1,000
-1,500

Quarterly series (not seasonally adjusted)

20,000

-2,000

U.S.-owned assets abroad

2006:IV
-2,500

15,000

2006:IV

-3,000
Annual series

10,000

-3,500
-4,000

5,000
-4,500
-5,000

0
2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Comprehensive Restructuring of the U.S. International Economic Accounts
On June 30, 2014, BEA will release “U.S. Net International Investment Position: End of the First Quarter
2014, Year 2013, and Annual Revisions.” The statistics will be revised to reflect newly available and more
complete source data, changes in estimation methods, and changes in definitions and classifications.
BEA will also introduce a new presentation of the IIP statistics as part of a comprehensive restructuring of
BEA’s international economic accounts. This change in presentation, combined with changes in definitions
and classifications, will bring the statistics into closer alignment with international guidelines. Additional
information on BEA’s comprehensive restructuring of the international accounts is published in the March
2014 issue of the Survey of Current Business. Table templates for the restructured presentation are available
on the BEA Web site at http://www.bea.gov/international/modern.htm.
__________________
NOTE: This news release is available on BEA’s Web site <www.bea.gov> along with Quarterly Highlights and
Annual Highlights related to this release, the latest detailed statistics for the U.S. international investment
position, and a description of the estimation methods used to compile them. The fourth-quarter statistics for 2013
in this release are preliminary and will be revised on June 30, 2014.

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-2The U.S. net international investment position decreased 9.7 percent in the fourth quarter,
compared with a 6.4-percent increase in the third quarter and an average quarterly decrease of 6.3
percent from the first quarter of 2011 through the third quarter of 2013. The net position was
equal to 2.4 percent of the value of all U.S. financial assets at the end of the fourth quarter, up
from 2.2 percent at the end of the third quarter. 1
U.S.-owned assets abroad were $21,963.8 billion at the end of the fourth quarter compared
with $21,591.7 billion at the end of the third quarter (chart 2). The $372.1 billion increase
reflected a $318.4 billion increase in the value of U.S.-owned assets abroad excluding financial
derivatives and a $53.7 billion increase in the value of financial derivatives.
U.S.-owned assets abroad excluding financial derivatives were $19,148.7 billion at the end
of the fourth quarter compared with $18,830.2 billion at the end of the third quarter. The $318.4
billion increase reflected a $196.4 billion increase resulting from valuation changes and a $122.1
billion increase resulting from financial outflows. 2 Valuation changes were mainly attributable to
an increase in foreign stock prices that raised the value of U.S. holdings of foreign stocks.
Foreign-owned assets in the United States were $26,541.3 billion at the end of the fourth
quarter compared with $25,763.5 billion at the end of the third quarter (chart 2). The $777.8
billion increase reflected a $749.3 billion increase in the value of foreign-owned assets in the
United States excluding financial derivatives and a $28.5 billion increase in the value of financial
derivatives.
Foreign-owned assets in the United States excluding financial derivatives were $23,799.4
billion at the end of the fourth quarter compared with $23,050.0 billion at the end of the third
quarter. The $749.3 billion increase reflected a $430.6 billion increase resulting from valuation
changes and a $318.8 billion increase resulting from financial inflows. Valuation changes were
mostly attributable to increases in U.S. stock prices that raised the value of foreign holdings of
U.S. stocks. The rise in the value of U.S. stocks was partly offset by declines in the value of U.S.
debt securities due to falling bond prices.
Revisions
The U.S. net international investment position at the end of the third quarter of 2013 was
revised to -$4,171.8 billion from a previously-published value of -$4,165.6 billion. The $6.2
billion downward revision to the net position reflected a $6.9 billion upward revision to foreignowned assets in the United States that exceeded a $0.7 billion upward revision to U.S.-owned
assets abroad.

1

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRS), “Table L.5 Total Liabilities and Its Relation to Total
Financial Assets,” in Financial Accounts of the United States, Fourth Quarter 2013, Z.1. Statistical Release
(Washington, DC: FRS, March 6, 2014): 11. According to the March 6, 2014 Z.1 release, the value of all U.S.
financial assets was $193,911.9 billion at the end of the fourth quarter. U.S. assets abroad from the international
investment position were $21,963.8 billion at the end of the fourth quarter, 11.3% of all U.S. assets, down from 11.4%
in the third quarter and down from the 13.5% series peak in the third quarter of 2011.
2

For statistics on financial flows, see the financial account transactions in table 1 of the U.S. International
Transactions Accounts. Financial flows discussed in this release are not seasonally adjusted. Detailed valuation
changes such as price, exchange-rate, and other changes are available only for annual statistics in the June release.

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-3U.S.-owned assets abroad at the end of the third quarter were revised to $21,591.7 billion
from $21,590.9 billion, and foreign-owned assets in the United States were revised to $25,763.5
billion from $25,756.5 billion. These revisions reflect revised source data from the Treasury
International Capital (TIC) reporting system and from BEA’s quarterly surveys of direct
investment.
Year 2013
The U.S. net international investment position was -$4,577.5 billion (preliminary) at the
end of 2013 compared with -$3,863.9 billion at the end of 2012. The $713.6 billion decrease in
the net position reflected a $1,039.8 billion increase in the value of foreign-owned assets in the
United States that exceeded a $326.1 billion increase in the value of U.S.-owned assets abroad.
The U.S. net international investment position decreased 18.5 percent from the end 2012 to the
end of 2013, compared with a 3.6-percent decrease from yearend 2011 to yearend 2012.
U.S.-owned assets abroad were $21,963.8 billion at the end of 2013 compared with
$21,637.6 billion at the end of 2012. The $326.1 billion increase reflected a $1,130.8 billion
increase in the value of U.S.-owned assets abroad excluding financial derivatives that was partly
offset by an $804.7 billion decrease in the value of financial derivatives.
U.S.-owned assets abroad excluding financial derivatives were $19,148.7 billion at the end
of 2013 compared with $18,017.9 billion at the end of 2012. The $1,130.8 billion increase
reflected a $577.8 billion increase resulting from valuation changes and a $553.0 billion increase
resulting from financial outflows. Valuation changes were mainly attributable to the increase in
foreign stock prices that raised the value of U.S. holdings of foreign stocks.
Foreign-owned assets in the United States were $26,541.3 billion at the end of 2013
compared with $25,501.5 billion at the end of 2012. The $1,039.8 billion increase reflected a
$1,859.8 billion increase in the value of foreign-owned assets in the United States excluding
financial derivatives that was partly offset by an $820.1 billion decrease in the value of financial
derivatives.
Foreign-owned assets in the United States excluding financial derivatives were $23,799.4
billion at the end of 2013 compared with $21,939.5 billion at the end of 2012. The $1,859.8
billion increase reflected a $953.8 billion increase resulting from valuation changes and a $906.1
billion increase resulting from financial inflows. Valuation changes were mostly attributable to
increases in U.S. stock prices that raised the value of foreign holdings of U.S. stocks. The rise in
the value of U.S. stocks was partly offset by declines in the value of U.S. debt securities due to
falling bond prices.
*

*

*

Valuing the Components of the U.S. International Investment Position
Investment positions for long-term portfolio securities are based on market values from
monthly, annual, and benchmark surveys conducted by the Treasury International Capital (TIC)
reporting system of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Investment positions for financial
derivatives are based on fair market values from quarterly surveys conducted by the TIC reporting
system. Investment positions for claims and liabilities reported by banks, securities brokers, and

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-4other nonbanks are based on contractual (face) values of instruments as reported by financial
institutions for both their own accounts and the accounts of their customers on the monthly and
quarterly surveys conducted by the TIC reporting system with supplementary data for U.S.
nonbanks from foreign central banks.
Investment positions for direct investment are valued at current-period prices based on a
revaluation of book values. Book values are reported by U.S. multinational companies on surveys
conducted by BEA. Direct investment at current cost is BEA’s featured measure of direct
investment at current-period prices. 3 The current-cost method values the U.S. and foreign parent
shares of their affiliates’ investment in (1) plant and equipment using the current cost of capital
equipment, (2) land using general price indexes, and (3) inventories using estimates of their
replacement cost. 4
*

*

*

Release dates in 2014:
End of the Fourth Quarter and Year 2013......................................March 26, 2014 (Wednesday)
End of the First Quarter of 2014, Year 2013, and Annual Revisions….June 30, 2014 (Monday)
End of the Second Quarter of 2014.............................................September 25, 2014 (Thursday)
End of the Third Quarter of 2014..................................................December 30, 2014 (Tuesday)
*

*

*

BEA’s national, international, regional, and industry statistics; the Survey of Current
Business; and BEA news releases are available without charge at www.bea.gov. At the site, you
can also subscribe to receive free e-mail summaries of BEA releases and announcements.

3

BEA publishes direct investment at market value as an alternative current-period price measure with owners’ equity
revalued using indexes of stock market prices. Beginning with the June 30, 2014 release, direct investment at market
value will be the featured measure in the U.S net international investment position statistics. BEA also publishes
direct investment at historical cost with owners’ equity at the book value reported on BEA’s surveys. Country and
industry detail for direct investment are available only on a historical-cost basis (see
http://www.bea.gov/iTable/index_MNC.cfm).
4

For additional information on the current-cost and market-value methods, see J. Steven Landefeld and Ann M.
Lawson, “Valuation of the U.S. Net International Investment Position,” Survey of Current Business 71 (May 1991):
40–49.

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-5Table 1. International Investment Position of the United States at the End of the Quarter
[Millions of dollars, not seasonally adjusted]
Line

Change:
2013:III to
2013:IV

2013

2012

Type of investment

1

IV

I

II

III

r

IV

p

Change:
2012:IV to
2013:IV

1 Net international investment position of the United States (lines 2+3).......................................
2 Financial derivatives, net (line 5 less line 25).................................................................................
3 Net international investment position, excluding financial derivatives (line 6 less line 26)...........

-3,863,892
57,776
-3,921,668

-4,236,559
40,025
-4,276,584

-4,455,040
59,352
-4,514,392

-4,171,798
47,963
-4,219,761

-4,577,504
73,178
-4,650,682

-405,706
25,215
-430,921

-713,612
15,402
-729,014

4 U.S.-owned assets abroad (lines 5+6)...........................................................................................
5 Financial derivatives (gross positive fair value)...........................................................................
6 U.S.-owned assets abroad, excluding financial derivatives (lines 7+12+17)................................

21,637,618
3,619,761
18,017,857

21,590,055
3,248,377
18,341,678

20,969,405
2,825,067
18,144,338

21,591,657
2,761,416
18,830,241

21,963,763
2,815,095
19,148,668

372,106
53,679
318,427

326,145
-804,666
1,130,811

7

U.S. official reserve assets............................................................................................................

572,368

553,058

446,207

483,426

448,333

-35,093

-124,035

8
9
10
11

Gold .......................................................................................................................................
Special drawing rights................................................................................................................
Reserve position in the International Monetary Fund................................................................
Foreign currencies......................................................................................................................

433,434
55,050
34,161
49,723

417,941
53,704
34,039
47,374

311,707
53,881
33,860
46,759

346,878
54,966
33,462
48,120

314,975
55,184
30,750
47,424

-31,903
218
-2,712
-696

-118,459
134
-3,411
-2,299

12

U.S. government assets, other than official reserve assets...........................................................

93,570

94,016

90,901

91,043

91,596

553

-1,974

84,029
83,756

85,433
85,160

88,636
88,363

89,912
89,639

90,951
90,678

1,039
1,039

6,922
6,922

13
14

2

3

U.S. credits and other long-term assets .....................................................................................
Repayable in dollars................................................................................................................
4

273

273

273

273

273

0

0

16

U.S. foreign currency holdings and U.S. short-term assets ......................................................

9,541

8,583

2,265

1,131

645

-486

-8,896

17
18
19
20
21
22
23

U.S. private assets.........................................................................................................................
Direct investment at current cost...............................................................................................
Foreign securities.......................................................................................................................
Bonds.......................................................................................................................................
Corporate stocks......................................................................................................................
U.S. claims on unaffiliated foreigners reported by U.S. nonbanking concerns..........................
U.S. claims reported by U.S. banks and securities brokers, not included elsewhere..................

17,351,919
5,077,750
7,531,223
2,140,685
5,390,538
844,752
3,898,194

17,694,604
5,123,775
7,823,264
2,174,582
5,648,682
906,061
3,841,504

17,607,230
5,194,622
7,719,064
2,086,978
5,632,086
974,663
3,718,881

18,255,772
5,309,596
8,286,838
2,129,377
6,157,461
987,104
3,672,234

18,608,739
5,366,043
8,715,531
2,204,052
6,511,479
935,682
3,591,483

352,967
56,447
428,693
74,675
354,018
-51,422
-80,751

1,256,820
288,293
1,184,308
63,367
1,120,941
90,930
-306,711

24 Foreign-owned assets in the United States (lines 25+26)...........................................................
25 Financial derivatives (gross negative fair value)..........................................................................
26 Foreign-owned assets in the United States, excluding financial derivatives (lines 27+34)..........

25,501,510
3,561,985
21,939,525

25,826,614
3,208,352
22,618,262

25,424,445
2,765,715
22,658,730

25,763,455
2,713,453
23,050,002

26,541,267
2,741,917
23,799,350

777,812
28,464
749,348

1,039,757
-820,068
1,859,825

5,692,448
4,526,896
4,032,204
494,692

5,814,441
4,561,428
4,090,723
470,705

5,744,199
4,460,203
4,009,152
451,051

5,844,774
4,486,853
4,017,000
469,853

5,948,424
4,506,863
4,056,266
450,597

103,650
20,010
39,266
-19,256

255,976
-20,033
24,062
-44,095

15

Other .......................................................................................................................................
5

27
28
29
30

Foreign official assets in the United States...................................................................................
U.S. government securities.........................................................................................................
U.S. Treasury securities...........................................................................................................
Other........................................................................................................................................

31
32
33

Other U.S. government liabilities ..............................................................................................
U.S. liabilities reported by U.S. banks and securities brokers, not included elsewhere.............
Other foreign official assets.......................................................................................................

128,279
204,401
832,872

128,554
224,462
899,997

132,268
215,107
936,621

137,100
245,160
975,661

139,693
266,372
1,035,496

2,593
21,212
59,835

11,414
61,971
202,624

34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42

Other foreign assets......................................................................................................................
Direct investment at current cost...............................................................................................
U.S. Treasury securities..............................................................................................................
U.S. securities other than U.S. Treasury securities.....................................................................
Corporate and other bonds......................................................................................................
Corporate stocks......................................................................................................................
U.S. currency..............................................................................................................................
U.S. liabilities to unaffiliated foreigners reported by U.S. nonbanking concerns.......................
U.S. liabilities reported by U.S. banks and securities brokers, not included elsewhere.............

16,247,077
3,057,326
1,541,569
6,904,050
3,061,963
3,842,087
454,227
656,522
3,633,383

16,803,821
3,074,647
1,631,056
7,296,277
3,056,573
4,239,704
459,184
632,919
3,709,738

16,914,531
3,101,291
1,585,232
7,258,691
2,940,348
4,318,343
468,670
626,418
3,874,229

17,205,228
3,130,534
1,637,655
7,616,011
3,035,289
4,580,722
481,334
576,222
3,763,472

17,850,926
3,178,693
1,747,512
8,034,920
3,059,590
4,975,330
491,949
598,286
3,799,566

645,698
48,159
109,857
418,909
24,301
394,608
10,615
22,064
36,094

1,603,849
121,367
205,943
1,130,870
-2,373
1,133,243
37,722
-58,236
166,183

5,249,539
3,923,969
4,453,307
2,650,832

5,500,811
4,251,181
4,499,331
2,668,153

5,435,081
4,333,762
4,570,179
2,694,796

5,973,419
4,515,937
4,685,154
2,724,040

6,349,512
4,935,167
4,741,601
2,772,199

376,093
419,230
56,447
48,159

1,099,973
1,011,198
288,294
121,367

6

Memoranda:
43 Direct investment abroad at market value..........................................................................................
44 Direct investment in the United States at market value......................................................................
45 Direct investment abroad at historical cost.........................................................................................
46 Direct investment in the United States at historical cost.....................................................................
p Preliminary
r Revised

1. The statistics for each quarter are the values as of the last day of the quarter; the first quarter ends on March 31; the second quarter ends on June 30; the third quarter ends on September 30; and the
fourth quarter ends on December 31 of the year.
2. U.S. official gold stock is valued at market price.
3. Also includes paid-in capital subscriptions to international financial institutions and outstanding amounts of miscellaneous claims that have been settled through international agreements to be payable to
the U.S. government over periods in excess of 1 year. Excludes World War I debts that are not being serviced.
4. Includes indebtedness that the borrower may contractually, or at its option, repay with its currency, with a third country's currency, or by delivery of materials or transfer of services.
5. Includes foreign-currency-denominated assets obtained through temporary reciprocal currency arrangements between the Federal Reserve System and foreign central banks. These assets are included
in the investment position at the dollar value established at the time they were received, reflecting the valuation of these assets in the Federal Reserve System’s balance sheet. Changes in exchange rates
do not affect this valuation.
6. Includes U.S. government liabilities associated with military sales contracts and U.S. government reserve-related liabilities from allocations of special drawing rights (SDRs).
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis