About Austria The Republic of Austria is a stable, affluent, parliamentary democracy located in the center of Europe, bordering Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Trade with EU countries accounts for over 60 percent of Austrian imports and exports. Expanding trade and investment in the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe is another major element of Austrian economic activity. As one of the main trading partners and investors in these markets, Austria stands to benefit greatly from its geographic, cultural, historical, and business ties to these markets in transition. The Austrian government welcomes foreign investment and has no formal sectoral or geographic restrictions for foreign industries and high-tech manufacturing.
Investment incentives are abundant.
EU incentives cover approximately 41 percent of Austria's territory. In addition, financial incentives within EU parameters are offered by federal, provincial, and local governments. There are currently around 300 U.S. firms with subsidiaries, affiliates, or licensees in Austria, of which over half have operations in Central and Eastern Europe. Qualified agents and distributors for almost every kind of product can be found in Austria. Many of these also cover Central and Eastern European markets.