EIA Reports

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
WASHINGTON DC 20585

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2002

Foreign-Affiliated Companies Increased Share of U.S. Gasoline Market in 2000

U.S. gasoline sales through outlets of foreign-affiliated companies grew 9 percent in 2000, claiming a 35 percent share of all gasoline sales, up from 32 percent in 1999 (see Table 1). Additionally, U.S. natural gas production by foreign-affiliated companies in 2000 increased 18 percent, accounting for 13 percent of total U.S. production according to data released by the Energy Information Administration in its report Foreign Direct Investment in U.S. Energy in 2000 (see Table 2).

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is the ownership or control of 10 percent or more of a U.S. business (or asset) by a foreign entity. A U.S business is termed a foreign-affiliated company or "FDI affiliate"; the foreign owner is the "parent." FDI is one measure of the continuing influence or control of foreign investors over the management and disposition of U.S. assets of production. However, while holding 10 percent or more of a company often may constitute control of that company, it does not necessarily do so. The determination of control is a complex and often subjective process in which many factors other than the percentage of ownership must be considered.

Foreign Direct Investment in U.S. Energy is a Congressionally-mandated report issued annually by the Energy Information Administration. The report contains publicly reported company-level data from such sources as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as well as aggregate industry-level data reported by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Due to lags in the reporting of financial data and the compilation of the industry-level data, the most recently available data are for the year 2000. The report is available on the Internet at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/finance/fdi/advance/index.html.

The report described in this press release was prepared by the Energy Information Administration, the independent statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. The information contained in the press release and the report should be attributed to the Energy Information Administration and should not be construed as advocating or reflecting any policy position of the Department of Energy or any other organization.

-EIA-

EIA Program Contact: Neal Davis, 202-586-6581, neal.davis@eia.doe.gov
EIA Press Contact: National Energy Information Center, 202/586-8800, infoctr@eia.doe.gov

EIA-2002-10

File Last Modified: August 12, 2002

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