Nearly half (45%) of global C-suite leaders plan to establish a legal entity in the United States within the next 12 months, highlighting continued demand for access to the U.S. market. This finding from the latest research by CSC demonstrates that the U.S. continues to attract investment from around the world, even as companies face an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
CSC surveyed 300 C-level executives at large organizations headquartered in Europe, the U.K., Asia Pacific and South America to examine global sentiment toward U.S. market entry, including expansion plans, strategic drivers and regulatory challenges. CSC’s report, “Navigating U.S. Market Entry: Insights, Risks and Opportunities for Global Businesses,” details the results.
The research highlights strong forward momentum toward U.S. expansion. In addition to the 45% planning to establish an entity within the next 12 months, a further 27% say they will consider entry over the next two to three years.
Operational and strategic benefits are the dominant drivers for expansion. Almost two-thirds of the executives (65%) cite supply chain or manufacturing efficiency as the main motivation for establishing a U.S. presence. Strategic positioning—including partnerships and merger-and-acquisitions opportunities—is cited by 56% of respondents, while 56% also highlight access to capital markets as a key motivator.
“We’re seeing a clear trend of U.K., European and Asia-Pacific multinationals incorporating a U.S. entity to reach the approximately 340 million consumers or investors in the U.S.,” said Myrna Reijnders, market leader, Americas at CSC. “It’s a significant movement across sectors—from retail, real estate, insurance, healthcare and biotech to energy, AI and technology, including critical infrastructure, such as data centers.”
Despite strong enthusiasm, companies acknowledge that entering the U.S. market is far from straightforward. Almost 9 in 10 (88%) respondents view federal and state tax reporting as the most burdensome compliance requirement, followed closely by employment and labor regulations (80%).
Many companies underestimate the realities of operating in the U.S. Half (50%) of companies with some degree of U.S. presence say they were surprised by the complexity of tax and financial reporting requirements once operations were underway.
As a result, they increasingly see outsourcing as a practical strategy for managing compliance and operational risk. A significant 79% of executives indicate they will likely outsource U.S. compliance or governance functions to a specialist provider, with 62% stating this is “very likely.”
“Companies assume doing business in the U.S. means you’re working in one jurisdiction. But rules and requirements can vary at the federal, state and local levels,” added Jenn Kenton, chief commercial officer at CSC. “That’s where the challenge lies. Successfully setting up and maintaining a U.S. business means navigating those differences. It’s also where CSC has supported companies for over 125 years. Our goal is to ensure companies are set up to operate and remain compliant in the U.S. and beyond.”
