Use this free investment treaty finder to see which bilateral investment treaties and trade-agreement investment chapters may be potentially relevant to a cross-border investment anywhere in the world, drawing on 3,326 bilateral investment treaties and 470 multilateral agreements across 206 jurisdictions. It identifies instruments for a country pair. It does not determine whether any treaty actually protects you.
Use the Investment Treaty Finder in Two Steps
Two selections drive the investment treaty finder. Results update instantly, and every card links to the underlying treaty record on the UNCTAD IIA Navigator.
The investor-basis choice — individual citizenship or company place of incorporation — is only a country-pair search key. This finder does not determine treaty nationality.
Make both selections above to see potentially relevant instruments. No results are shown until you do.
Treaty coverage matters because it is the foundation of most investor-State claims. Whether a particular treaty applies to a particular investor, however, is never automatic: it depends on the treaty’s status and wording, the investor’s nationality and ownership structure, the qualifying investment, timing, procedural requirements, and the host state’s consent. The finder gives you the map — not the verdict.
How to Read Your Investment Treaty Finder Results
“Instrument listed as in force” means UNCTAD’s records show the treaty as currently in force between the two states. Even then, whether it covers a particular investor turns on definitions of “investor” and “investment,” ownership and control, timing, and procedural steps that many treaties impose before arbitration, such as notice periods or negotiation windows. This finder does not evaluate any of those questions.
“Instrument listed as terminated” is not necessarily the end of the analysis. Many BITs contain survival (sunset) clauses that can continue to apply to investments made before termination. Whether one applies to you depends on the exact treaty text, the relevant dates, and your investment — questions the finder deliberately does not attempt to answer.
“Instrument listed as signed — not in force” reflects UNCTAD’s recorded status only. It does not establish what ratification steps occurred, whether provisional application exists, or whether another instrument applies between the same states. Always check the official status and treaty text.
Beyond BITs: FTA Investment Chapters
For United States investors especially, the bilateral investment treaty is often not the main instrument. CAFTA-DR covers six Central American and Caribbean states. Dedicated trade agreements cover Chile, Colombia, Panama and Peru. The USMCA governs Mexico with a narrower arbitration mechanism than NAFTA had. The investment treaty finder surfaces these routes as “Multilateral agreements with investment provisions” for any country pair recorded by UNCTAD — their terms, scope and consent provisions are not assessed.
Investment Treaty Finder FAQ
What does an investment treaty actually give me?
A treaty in force can give qualifying investors substantive protections against expropriation, discrimination, and unfair treatment. In many cases it also provides a route to international arbitration against the host state. Whether a specific treaty gives you those rights requires legal analysis of the treaty text and your facts.
My country has no treaty with the host state. Is that the end?
No. Protection may exist through an FTA investment chapter, a subsidiary in a treaty jurisdiction, or an investment contract with the state. The host state’s own investment legislation can also provide consent. The legal analysis may depend on dual nationality, place of incorporation versus seat, direct and indirect ownership or control, substantial business activity, denial-of-benefits provisions, and the timing of investment, restructuring, government action, and dispute foreseeability.
How current is this data?
The investment treaty finder dataset reflects the UNCTAD IIA Navigator as of 28 August 2026, and we refresh it at least annually. Treaty status can change. Always confirm against the official treaty text before relying on it.
Does using this tool create an attorney-client relationship?
No. The finder is general information and attorney advertising, not legal advice. An engagement begins only with a signed retainer. If you want a documented professional assessment on your structure, request a fixed-fee Treaty-Risk Assessment.
Dataset scope, methodology and change log
Scope. All bilateral investment treaties and treaties with investment provisions recorded in the UNCTAD IIA Navigator: 3,326 BITs and 470 multilateral agreements across 206 jurisdictions worldwide, including terminated treaties, which can matter for survival (sunset) clause analysis. Investment chapters in other agreements, domestic investment laws, and contract-based consents are outside this dataset.
Sources. UNCTAD, International Investment Agreements Navigator (treaty status, dates and records); official government pages for FTA routes. UNCTAD’s mapping is purely informative and has no official or legal status.
Review status. Data compiled 28 August 2026. Attorney verification of individual records: in progress. ISDS consent, territorial scope and survival provisions are not assessed unless expressly stated.
Refresh. Quarterly, with link and status checks. Change log: v2 — 28 August 2026: neutral status labels, corrected signed/terminated language, investor-basis control, Other/not-listed routes, FTA source links, methodology disclosure. v1 — 28 August 2026: initial release.
Treaty data: UNCTAD, International Investment Agreements Navigator, available at investmentpolicy.unctad.org (accessed 28 August 2026). UNCTAD’s mapping of IIA content is purely informative and has no official or legal status. This page is attorney advertising and general information only, not legal advice. Treaty coverage always turns on the treaty text, its definitions, and your corporate structure. © Transnational Matters PLLC.
