Regulatory obstacles, uncertainties dent Chinese investment into US

China's foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States fell by more than 80 percent in 2018, and the downturn is expected to continue, given tighter US regulatory screening and policy shifts at home, analysts said.

After declining from a peak of $48 billion in 2016 to $31 billion in 2017, Chinese FDI in North America dropped to $8 billion in 2018, while total investment in Europe also declined, according to statistics from law firm Baker McKenzie.

FDI into the US fell from $45.63 billion in 2016 and $29 billion in 2017 to just $5 billion in 2018, down 83 percent, said the report released on Monday.