As the U.S. economy struggles to regain its footing, operators would be wise to expand their global reach. See what markets are the best for business.
On this year’s list, Forbes has ranked Canada No. 1 out of 134 countries as the best country for business. The United States (barely) made it in the top 10, coming in at No. 10, one spot below last year’s rank of No. 9. Canada moved up from No. 4 in last year’s rankings thanks to its improved tax standing, and the U.S. has been hurt by its heavy tax burden (this year it surpassed Japan to have the highest corporate tax rate among developed countries).
Forbes determined the best countries for business by looking at 11 different factors including property rights, innovation, taxes, technology, corruption, freedom (personal, trade and monetary), red tape, investor protection and stock market performance.
Forbes used research and published reports from the Central Intelligence Agency, Freedom House, Heritage Foundation, Property Rights Alliance, Transparency International, the World Bank and World Economic Forum to compile the rankings.
-- Michael Campos, LCT assistant editor
Print | posted on Friday, October 14, 2011 4:36 PM