Considerable Increase in Foreign Banking in the United States Since 1972

International banking has grown rapidly since the 1950's. Initially, U.S. bankers expanded their operations to foreign countries. In the 1960's and 1970's, foreign bankers began expanding their presence in the United States. Foreign banks have become an important competitive factor in the U.S. banking market and have more than doubled their share of total U.S. banking assets since 1972.