Top 15 American Companies in China

Learn how prominent American companies such as Apple, General Motors, Nike, Walmart, Microsoft, KFC, Starbucks, Adidas, and Coca-Cola have built a significant customer base in China.

Explore the presence of USA-based companies in China. Learn about top American companies, their operations, job opportunities, and the impact of American-owned businesses in the Chinese market.

As we all know, America and China are the leading companies in the world of technology. It is often argued that China is an important market for many large U.S. companies because its population has doubled since the early 1960s. China’s real appeal to American corporations is that the vast population growth has been coupled with a sharp expansion of the middle class. The Chinese market will probably become more important to consumer goods and technology companies in the next few decades than the U.S. is today.

China’s population in 1960 was 667 million, more than double that of the United States in 2010. China now has 1.34 billion residents. In this article, we will discuss the USA-based companies in China. Besides this, you are also thinking about how many American companies are in China. Let me explain to you.

How Many American Companies Are In China

How many American companies are in China? It is a common question for anyone whether they are looking for a job, business, or knowledge. According to the China Briefing survey, 8,619 US companies are established and running in China.

As of the end of 2022, data indicates the operation of around 5,000 Chinese-owned companies in the United States, spanning diverse industries such as technology, manufacturing, finance, and real estate. Notably, the growth rate of Chinese firms entering the US market has demonstrated a consistent annual increase of 8 percent over the past five years.

Top 10 American companies in the USA, including their founding year, founder name, and revenue.

S. NoCompany NameFounded inFounder NameRevenue (in billions USD)
1Walmart1962Sam Walton572.8
2Amazon1994Jeff Bezos469.8
3Apple1976Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak365.8
4CVS Health1963Stanley Goldstein, Sidney Goldstein292.1
5UnitedHealth Group1977Richard T. Burke287.6
6Berkshire Hathaway1839Oliver Chace (original)276.1
7ExxonMobil1999John D. Rockefeller (original)276.2
8Alphabet1998Larry Page, Sergey Brin257.6
9McKesson1833Charles M. Olcott, John McKesson238.2
10AmerisourceBergen2001Founded by merger213.9
These companies represent a diverse range of industries, from retail and technology to healthcare and energy, showcasing the breadth of American enterprise.

US companies in China jobs

If you are looking for US companies in China jobs, be aware that you must obtain a Z Visa, or Chinese work visa, to work in China legally. Employment on tourist or business visas is punishable by law and can result in deportation. Once you’re legally working in China, you’ll be eligible for Chinese social security. Your employer should apply for social security for you within the first month of employment. You can safely work in US companies in China jobs.

List Of The Top American Companies In China

  1. Microsoft
  2. Boeing
  3. Intel
  4. KFC
  5. Starbucks
  6. Apple
  7. Nike
  8. Walmart
  9. Tesla
  10. Alibaba
  11. General Motors
  12. Berkshire Hathway
  13. Coca-Cola/Sprite
  14. Procter and Gamble

Brief Explanation American Owned Companies In China

Microsoft

Microsoft is a multinational American company that designs applications for Android users. The headquarters are in Redmond, Washington. The most famous software products are the Windows line of operating systems and Microsoft 365. Microsoft only makes a fraction of the revenue it would make if everyone in China bought software directly from the company. Nearly 80% of PC software is pirated in China. According to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the company’s revenue in China will only be about 5% of what it is in the U.S., despite almost equal sales of personal computers in the two countries, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Boeing

Boeing currently has more than 50% share of the Chinese market for commercial aircraft, according to Forbes. It is a full-service audio-post facility with one of Mumbai’s most extensive recording set-ups. Designed by Sam Toyoshima of Abbey Road fame, BOING is used to record, mix, design, edit, master, and dub. Boeing and China have a two-way relationship. According to Boeing-China President David Wang, speaking to CNC World, “China is already Boeing’s biggest customer outside of the United States, and Boeing is the largest purchaser of made-in-China aviation parts and components.”

Intel

Intel is the world’s largest semiconductor chip maker by revenue. According to PwC, Intel had a 14.9% market share as of 2010. In that year alone, Intel made nearly $20 billion in revenue in China. This was an increase of more than 26% from 2009 when the company was also the market leader. China accounts for more than one-third of the world semiconductor market. It, therefore, makes sense that Intel is China’s leading semiconductor supplier.

KFC

KFC is a famous top American company in China. It is so hugely popular that the company’s target is to increase its number of restaurants in China to 20,000. It was one of the most powerful foreign brands in China in 2013. Founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, KFC grew rapidly all over the mainland of China after 1987. While McDonald’s restaurants in China have an almost identical menu to those in the U.S., KFC offers local patrons a number of more familiar dishes, such as Chinese-style porridge for breakfast.

Starbucks

Starbucks is another famous food brand American owned companies in China. Its headquarters are in Seattle, Washington, and was founded in 1971. It has become the biggest chain of coffee houses. Started in 1999 in Beijing, it launched 2 stores in Beijing in 2013; in 2017, it launched its single-origin Chinese coffee beans known as Starbucks Yunnan coffee. The revenue of Starbucks from China was approximately $5.1 billion. The revenues have increased 51% from the previous year. China currently has 6800 Starbucks stores.

Apple

Apple is one of the top-listed American-owned companies in China. It is a multinational company founded in 1976 and headquartered in California. Between 2011 and 2024, it was the company with the largest capitalization until it became second to Microsoft. Apple’s revenue from China hit $40.31 billion in 2021. Apple was in the first place for smartphones in China in 2023. In the first week of 2024, the shares were much down. In 2016, Apple sold approximately 43 million units, but Huawei was the first to sell 75 million units, followed by Oppo and Xiaomi. In 2013, Apple faced huge competition from Samsung.

Nike

Nike is a multinational USA-based company in China that is the world’s largest supplier of athletic shoes and sports equipment. The company’s headquarters is in Beaverton, United States. Nike’s worldwide revenue was $46.7 billion, of which China’s revenue was $7.2 billion. China is the second biggest market after the US. The company was facing challenges from the local brands. Li-Ning and Anta have achieved growth of 15% in their sales and have been a competition to Nike. In 2013, Nike developed a new strategy, which increased sales from 2014 to 2015.

Walmart

Walmart is one of the top American companies in China. It operates a chain of supermarkets, discount stores, and grocery stores. The headquarters are in Bentonville. Walmart is increasing its sales by adopting a new strategy and has more than 400 stores and 21 distribution centers in China. Walmart’s total sales are about $40.5 billion, of which China contributes $14.7 billion. Though it faces some competition from local companies, it is one of China’s largest consumer goods-selling companies.

Tesla

Tesla is a multinational USA-based company in China. It is an automotive and clean energy company. Tesla recently made its position on the list of American companies in China. The revenue graph that Tesla owns from China has been rising since 2020. Tesla got $21.75 billion from China in 2023, which is 25% of Tesla’s total revenue. The biggest competition for Tesla in making electric vehicles is BYD, which has already topped the results by the end of 2023. BYD aims to sell 3 million vehicles along with hybrids, while Tesla doesn’t make hybrids.

Alibaba

Alibaba is the leading B2B e-commerce platform for global trade between USA based companies in China. It is also known as the highest-paid company in China, with an average monthly salary of $5,000 for its employees. The company ensures that the quality of production is verified by the suppliers, and your orders are protected from payment to delivery.

General Motors

General Motors pioneers innovations that move people and connect them to what matters. Their diverse team of over 165,000 employees brings their collective passion for engineering, technology, and design to deliver on this ambitious future. It is a USA-based company in China. Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, with employees worldwide, General Motors has a global scale and capabilities. The company is a superior US company in China jobs.

Berkshire Hathway

Berkshire Hathaway is one of the top American companies in China. Founded in 1839 as a textile manufacturer, it transitioned into a major conglomerate in 1965 under chairman and CEO Warren Buffett and vice chairman Charlie Munger. Berkshire is one of the top ten components of the S&P 500 index and one of the largest American-owned private employers in the United States. Berkshire Hathaway traces its roots to a textile manufacturing company established by Oliver Chace in 1839 as the Valley Falls Company in Valley Falls, Rhode Island.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a multinational company that manufactures carbonated soft drinks. It is a USA-based company in China, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2013, it became a global entity, having a presence in 200 countries. Coca-Cola has over 45 factories in China, providing jobs to over 48,000 workers. Sprite is the most famous soft drink in China, and it is manufactured by Coca-Cola. It holds a share of 62% in the soda market. The company is a leading US company in China jobs.

Procter and Gamble

Procter & Gamble is a multinational American company that produces consumer goods. Its headquarters are in Ohio. Founded in 1837, it has become one of the major American companies in China. The headquarters of P&G in China are in Guangzhou. It employs over 8,000 people in China. It is one of the companies that produces large amounts of consumer goods. It is one of the best US companies in China jobs.

The Final Thoughts

China’s real appeal to American corporations is its huge population growth coupled with a sharp expansion of the middle class. The list is long, and the question is why the Chinese market is attractive to American companies for expanding their business. The reason could be the huge population of China, which was 667 million back in the 1960s and doubled in 2010; now it is 1.4 billion. In this article, I have mentioned the top 15 USA-based companies in China. All the companies are the best US companies in China jobs.

Thank you For Reading !! Best Regards !!

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