Foreign Investment Increases in the United States.

Byline: Carter Dougherty

Mar. 16--Foreign investment in the United States topped $300 billion for the first time in 2000, demonstrating that offshore investors remain bullish about the prospects for the American economy even as growth slows, the Commerce Department reported yesterday.

Companies based overseas plowed $316.5 billion in foreign direct investment into facilities in the United States. The rise continues a dramatic trend in which investment has grown dramatically from $58.8 billion in 1995.

"These impressive figures show the continued confidence offshore companies have in the United States," said Todd Malan, executive director of the …