Global FDI flows increased 13% in the first half of this year compared with the second half of 2014, reports the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in its latest quarterly analysis of FDI trends and developments. According to the report, global FDI flows in general have been on an incline since 2013, with the exception of a dip in the first half of 2014.

The biggest contributor to this upward trend has been the US, whose FDI inflows in the first quarter of 2015 hit a record $200bn. US GDP grew 3.9% in the second quarter of 2015 and 2.1% in the third quarter. Improved economic health and a number of crossborder mergers and acquisitions are the main drivers behind the country’s FDI inflows. This has led to a 50% increase in OECD inflows in the first half of 2015.