(Archived Content)
WASHINGTON – Preliminary data from an annual survey of U.S. portfolio holdings of foreign securities at year-end 2012 were released today and posted on the Treasury web site at (https://home.treasury.gov/data/treasury-international-capital-tic-system-home-page/tic-forms-instructions/securities-c-annual-cross-us-border-portfolio-holdings#usclaims). Final survey results, which will include additional detail as well as possible revisions to the data, will be reported on October 31, 2013.
The survey was undertaken jointly by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
A complementary survey measuring foreign holdings of U.S. securities also is conducted annually. Data from the most recent such survey, which reports on securities held on June 30, 2013, are currently being processed. Preliminary results are expected to be reported on February 28, 2014.
Overall Preliminary Results
The survey measured the value of U.S. holdings of foreign securities at year-end 2012 at approximately $7.9 trillion, with $5.3 trillion held in foreign equities, $2.3 trillion held in foreign long-term debt securities (original term-to-maturity in excess of one year), and $0.4 trillion held in foreign short-term debt securities. The previous such survey, conducted as of year-end 2011, measured the value of U.S. holdings at $6.8 trillion, with $4.5 trillion held in foreign equities, $2.0 trillion held in foreign long-term debt securities, and $0.4 trillion held in foreign short-term debt securities.
Table 1. U.S. holdings of foreign securities, by type of security, as of survey dates
(Billions of dollars)
Type of Security | Dec. 31, 2011 | Dec. 31, 2012 |
Long-term securities | 6,480 | 7,576 |
Equity | 4,501 | 5,312 |
Long-term debt | 1,979 | 2,265 |
Short-term debt securities | 360 | 365 |
Total | 6,841 | 7,941 |
Table 2. U.S. holdings of foreign securities, by country of issuer and type of security, for the countries attracting the most U.S. portfolio investment, as of December 31, 2012
(Market value, billions of dollars, except as noted)
| Country or Region | Total | Equity | Long-Term Debt | Short-Term Debt |
1 | United Kingdom | 1,129 | 758 | 296 | 74 |
2 | Canada | 808 | 376 | 377 | 55 |
3 | Cayman Islands | 784 | 561 | 220 | 2 |
4 | Japan | 521 | 427 | 61 | 32 |
5 | France | 375 | 257 | 105 | 13 |
6 | Australia | 351 | 147 | 142 | 62 |
7 | Switzerland | 333 | 322 | 8 | 3 |
8 | Germany | 330 | 228 | 79 | 23 |
9 | Netherlands | 286 | 146 | 129 | 11 |
10 | Brazil | 216 | 150 | 66 | * |
11 | Ireland | 181 | 134 | 46 | * |
12 | Bermuda | 178 | 150 | 28 | * |
13 | Korea, South | 175 | 141 | 31 | 2 |
14 | Mexico | 157 | 77 | 72 | 8 |
15 | Hong Kong | 145 | 139 | 3 | 2 |
16 | Sweden | 122 | 66 | 31 | 24 |
17 | China, mainland | 120 | 119 | 1 | * |
18 | Italy | 110 | 54 | 55 | * |
19 | Luxembourg | 105 | 31 | 71 | 2 |
20 | Spain | 99 | 63 | 33 | 3 |
21 | Taiwan | 88 | 87 | * | 0 |
22 | South Africa | 86 | 71 | 15 | * |
23 | India | 79 | 76 | 3 | * |
24 | British Virgin Islands | 74 | 68 | 6 | 0 |
25 | Norway | 73 | 24 | 33 | 16 |
26 | Singapore | 73 | 59 | 9 | 4 |
27 | Netherlands Antilles | 70 | 65 | 5 | * |
28 | Russia | 67 | 55 | 12 | * |
29 | International organizations | 57 | * | 50 | 7 |
30 | Israel | 57 | 37 | 19 | 1 |
| Rest of world | 697 | 421 | 258 | 17 |
| Total | 7,941 | 5,312 | 2,265 | 365 |
* Greater than zero, but less than $500 million.