Foreign Direct Investment
As the world’s fourth-largest economy and the #1 recipient of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the United States, California offers a powerful gateway for global business expansion.
Within this dynamic landscape, Riverside County Office of Economic Development (RivCoED) is committed to supporting international companies entering the U.S. market by providing tailored guidance on market entry, site selection, workforce development, and other support to help you succeed. Through its FDI efforts, RivCoED is focused on building long-term partnerships with international companies that foster innovation, expand industry clusters, and create lasting economic impact across Riverside County.
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Exploring Riverside County Regions
In Riverside County, opportunities are limitless in its 7,300 square miles region covering from its western border adjacent to Orange County to the Colorado River at the eastern border, adjacent to the Arizona border.
Riverside County, its 28 Cities and unincorporated communities, offer compelling strategic advantages and are ready to support international companies looking to expand in the US.
Northwest Region
- Major hub for logistics, manufacturing, and distribution
- Strong transportation access via I-15, I-215, SR-60 & SR-91
- Diverse workforce supported by higher education and training systems
- Strategic location connecting to ports, airports, and Southern California markets
Southwest Region
- Known for Temecula Valley Wine Country and strong tourism economy
- Fast-growing industries: healthcare, biotech, retail, and professional services
- Highly desirable for residents with quality schools, housing, and amenities
- Rapid population and job growth driving new business investment
Hemet–San Jacinto Region
- Offers affordable land, workforce availability, and business growth potential
- Serves as a key connector between major county regions
- Expanding residential development fueling local economic activity
- Proximity to recreation and agriculture supports diverse industries
Pass Region
- Key logistics and transportation corridor along Interstate 10
- Growing population creating demand for services and retail
- Close to major destinations like Desert Hills Premium Outlets
- Ideal for industrial, warehousing, and regional distribution uses
Coachella Valley & Blythe Region
- Largest geographic region stretching to Arizona
- Strong sectors: tourism, agriculture, renewable energy, and hospitality
- Significant job growth and visitor-driven economy
- Home to major resorts, events, and clean energy production
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Global Companies. Local Presence.
Riverside County is a host to global companies. Numerous Fortune 500 and privately held companies have chosen this region as their home for either corporate headquarters or for a key regional office. Within Riverside County you will find a wide range of industries, from service to entertainment, technology to automotive, and medical to aerospace.
Join the growing number of international companies choosing Riverside County as their place to expand and succeed in the US!
Foreign Direct Investment Dashboard
Click below to explore Riverside County’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Dashboard and learn about top sectors of FDI, Foreign-Owned Enterprises, ports, airports, and more.
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Clean Energy Incentives
Riverside County is leading the charge toward a cleaner, more sustainable future—and your business can benefit. From generous State and Federal tax credits to utility rebates and low-interest financing, there are a wide range of clean energy incentives designed to reduce your costs while improving your environmental footprint. Explore how your business can cut costs, reduce emissions, and lead in sustainability.
Click below to explore State and Federal clean energy incentives.
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Riverside County Emerging Technologies
Riverside County Innovation
A 2021 report on Innovation in the Inland Empire from the UCR Center for Social Innovation states that “according to job posting data, jobs in the innovation sector have grown by 88% since 2016, a rate comparable to the rest of Southern California."
Riverside County has burgeoning clusters in Biotechnology, Health Care and Renewable Energy. This map illustrates those clusters.
Click below to explore a map of emerging technologies sectors.
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Select Inland SoCal - The Perfect Place to Grow Your Business
Welcome to the Fastest Growing Region in California
Inland Southern California is a region with a growing innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem focused on developing sustainable solutions to address the world’s most complex problems.
Click below to explore opportunities in Inland SoCal.
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International Trade Quick Facts
- Riverside County is home to 580 Foreign-Owned Enterprises (FOEs). FOEs employ nearly 13,200 individuals
- Riverside MSA was the 36th Metropolitan Exporter in 2024
- Our total goods export for 2024 was $11 Billion
- Top 5 export destinations for Riverside MSA are Mexico, Canada, China, the Netherlands and Japan
California has the largest GDP of all states in the US. $ 3,862,171.40 (2023 GDP, US Bureau of Economic analysis), and is the 5th largest economy in the world for the seventh consecutive year
- Riverside County is the 9th largest economy in California by GRP
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Riverside County, California - 7300 Miles of Opportunity
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Brokers, site selectors, business owners, investors and other regional partners can search RivCoSites.com to locate retail properties, vacant land, office or industrial space in Riverside County. Be confident in the most up-to-date demographic information sourced from Esri. Click the button below and explore this valuable tool to:
- Get up-to-date demographic information about workforce, income, housing and more
- Search specific properties in a selected area
- Find properties located in opportunity zones
- Download a property flyer for each site
Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ)
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U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones are considered outside of U.S. commerce for Customs purposes. This enables companies to defer duty payments on merchandise until it is entered into U.S. commerce. If the merchandise is subsequently re-exported from the FTZ, no Customs entry is filed, and no duty paid on the merchandise. The U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones program offers substantial advantages to U.S.-based manufacturers and distributors, many of which are not available under free trade zone regimes abroad. In general, merchandise in a zone may be: assembled, exhibited, cleaned, manipulated, manufactured, mixed, processed, relabeled, repackaged, repaired, salvaged, sampled, stored, tested, displayed, and destroyed.
Click below to visit our Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) page.
Financial Resources
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THE STATE TRADE AND EXPORT PROMOTION (STEP)
The STEP Program is a pilot export initiative to make matching-fund awards to states to assist small businesses enter and succeed in the international marketplace. Activities to support small business exporting under the STEP Program are provided to eligible small business concerns (“STEP Clients”) located in states, territories, and the District of Columbia.
The program’s objectives are to increase the number of U.S. small businesses that export and to increase the value of exports by small businesses.
STEP activities are managed and provided at the local level by state government organizations. The Program is managed at the national level by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of International Trade. The Program was appropriated $8,000,000 in in FY 2014 funding for the third round. For more STEP information follow the link.
EB-5 PROGRAM
Riverside County has been a strong supporter of the program and has implemented it throughout the county with dozens of EB-5 projects, principally for its economic benefits. To learn more about the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, please visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
EXPORT LOANS
The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides a number of loan programs specifically designed to help develop or expand trade and export activities. Visit the SBA website for more information.
FINANCING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS EXPORTS
Learn about the government's loans, insurance and grant programs to help you become an exporter or expand your exporting business. for more information.
International Trade Partnerships
Quick Links
The following quick links lead to Federal, State and Local Resources. Click on the down arrows to expand each selection.
Federal Resources
- SelectUSA Investor Guide
- International Investor Starter Packet
- US Census: Foreign Trade
- USA GOV: Import/Export
- International Trade Administration
- International Trade Administration: Exports
- Small Business Administration
- US Customs and Border Protection
- World Trade Organization
- International Economic Business Council
State Resources
Local Resources
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Contact Us
INTERNATIONAL TRADE ASSISTANCE
3403 10th Street, Suite 400, Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 955-8916
Kimberly Wright
Economic Development Manager
Riverside County Office of Economic Development
Email: [email protected]