Major Foreign Holders of U.S. Debt

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBQI9G2E6E.html

Major foreign holders of U.S. Treasury securities at the end of January. Foreigners held $1.96 trillion of the $4.43 trillion in U.S. debt that was publicly traded. Here are the countries with the largest holdings, according to a monthly report from the Treasury Department:
Japan: $701.6 billion

Mainland China: $194.5 billion.

United Kingdom: $163.0 billion

Caribbean banking centers including the Bahamas and Bermuda: $92.5 billion

South Korea: $67.7 billion

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries: $64.7 billion (OPEC)

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[BrklynLiberal]

1. Wonder which of the MSM networks are going to show this on

tonight's news? BWaaaaaaahahahahahahahaahahahahahhahahaah

[noahmijo]

2. Welcome to Bush's "Ownership Society"

Where you think you own a few things but it turns out you don't own shit; in fact other countries are the ones who own your ass.

Welcome to the United States of I'llBeYourBitchForTheRightPrice

[htuttle]

3. Offshore Caribbean banks hold that much of our debt?

No wonder they've had so little luck regulating deals with them.

Couple of interesting things in this list. Compare those numbers to what Bush borrowed for the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Also, I think Japan owns so much because they've been frantically trying to keep the Yen affordable to dollars.

[Art_from_Ark]

6. Yes, Japan wanted to keep the yen from going too high

but the government hasn't bought any Treasuries for a year now. They've found a cheaper way to keep the yen down-- just say the Japanese economy is in a recession.

[Wright Patman]

4. But I thought we 'won'

the recent wars. And they only lasted a couple of months each.

Usually victorious conquerors get to rule the world afterwards. That's the way it's always depicted in the movies.

[Spazito]

5. I find it interesting that there is a listing of OPEC instead of

listing the individual countries that, in reality, hold the debt. It would be very interesting to know how much of the 64.7 billion is in the hands of Saudi Arabia versus Kuwait, for example.

The same applies to Caribbean banking centers. Who, exactly, are these centers, why not list them?

[davhill]

22. When you say Caribbean banking centers

You are basicly talking about South American drug lords.

[Deja Q]

7. Didn't Michael Moore say Saudi Arabia had $1 trillion or so?

What happened?

[Anarcho-Socialist]

9. I may be wrong, but I think that's Saudi investments in the U.S.

via stock and dollar-denominated holdings.

[Spazito]

10. I believe it also relates to real-estate holdings

The Saudis own a whole whack of real estate in the US as well as shares in many major US corporations.

[Old and In the Way]

11. I don't think this includes US based assets

I think the Sauds have a huge stake in real estate in this country.

[tlcandie]

8. Can someone rewrite this into the NEW AP 'optional' creative style?

So, we can get a preview of how it would look with all these facts and figures! :+

[JNelson6563]

12. Apply this pattern:

Up is down
Good is bad
War is peace

Big Brother loves you.
You love Big Brother.

:crazy:

[TahitiNut]

13. (Uh...) "Foreign Confidence In U.S. Economy"??

:shrug:

[TahitiNut]

14. Think of all the taxpayer dollars in interest that're going off-shore.

Sending those dollars off-shore is just another way this country's working class gets sucked dry by global profiteers.

[Erika]

15. Congratulations W - America is now globally owned

With our citizens paying interest to the owners.

[Amfortas]

16. kick !

[Dirk_H]

17. It's very revealing, that EURO-zone holds only

very little U.S. debt, compared to its economical weight and its major share of world trade. This could indicate that they are already well prepared to attac the US$ as the world key currency (in order to replace it with the EURO). This is also underlined by the fact that the ECB did nothing to stop the sharp rise of the EURO against the US$, though this hurts the export-driven european economy.

[TyeDye75]

19. That being said

I was shocked to see Britians share.....I didnt realise we were in that deep.

This will be a good arguement for when people ask me why Im so pro European.

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. That depends on who 'we' really are

From an MSN Money article on this:

Britain’s high placing on the creditor list owes much to the fact that British banks hold a vast amount of US debt on behalf of investors from other countries. That same reason explains Caribbean banking centres huge $76 billion holding.

http://money.msn.co.uk/investing/Insight/SpecialFeatures/ActiveInvestor/dollarandshares/default.asp

Unlike the Asian countries, I don't think there is a very big British government holding of US government debt (but I can't find precise figures on it).

[TyeDye75]

21. Thanks

that puts it in a more realistic perspective

[ausiedownunderground]

18. Well spotted Dirk H!!!!!!

Why would the Europeans want to hold US Debt anyway. No matter how low the US Peso goes, it will not strengthen US exports that much into Europe,and OZ, for that matter. Just ask McDonalds,Boeing even Microsoft. There is an unofficial "boycott" of all American products and services around the world. People in OZ buy petrol from Shell and BP before Mobil. In fact Franchisee holders are moving out of US oil company related brands faster than The Bush Gang can say "Freedom & Democracy" one more time!