Sources of growth in international insurance services

The purpose of this paper is to analyse international insurance services. It defines international insurance services in the context of the new definition of trade in financial services. Cross-border trade and foreign direct investment in insurance services are categorised into four distinct groups, based on the movement of providers and receivers of insurance services. The empirical results of a model of the movement of providers in insurance services indicate that insurance premiums and the national income of the host countries contribute to the expansion of multinational insurance companies. Furthermore, bilateral trade, labor costs, economic growth and the cost of capital are also contributing to the expansion of international insurance services. In addition, the empirical results indicate that FDI in banking is a complement to the expansion of international insurance services.     

International investment in financial services

This paper analyzes and models the significant components of international trade in financial services, namely, foreign direct investment in banking for the US, the UK and Germany. It distinguishes between banks' activities abroad and FDI in banking by banks and non-banks. A model for FDI in banking is proposed which contains certain explanatory variables peculiar to FDI in banking as compared to FDI in manufacturing. The components of the model of FDI in banking is different from those models designed to explain banks activities abroad. The empirical results of this study of FDI in banking indicate that bilateral trade, banks' foreign assets, the cost of capital, relative economic growth, exchange rates and FDI in non-finance industries are the major determinants of foreign investment in banking.     

保险服务业产业内贸易及其影响因素的实证分析

本文对美国与其22个贸易伙伴国的保险服务业产业内贸易水平进行度量,并且使用Grubel-Lloyd IIT指数,建立2002年~2006年面板数据模型对保险服务业产业内贸易的影响因素进行经验分析。研究结果表明:市场开放度和跨国公司内部贸易流与保险服务业产业内贸易存在显著的正相关,市场规模差异与保险服务业产业内贸易存在显著的负相关。人均收入差异、市场不平衡度和对外直接投资均对保险服务业产业内贸易水平的影响不显著。     

International financial services: determinants of banks’ foreign assets held by non-banks

Banks’ foreign assets held by non-banks are part of the growing volume of international trade in financial services. This paper investigates, for the first time, the determinants of banks’ assets held by non-banks for Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The underlying model used to measure banks’ foreign assets held by non-banks in this study, is based on those models which have measured the determinants of banks’ total foreign assets and international inter-bank activities. The empirical results of this model suggest a positive relationship with foreign direct investment in banking and banks’ foreign assets held by non-banks. Other significant factors identified include bilateral trade, the value of national income, and the real interest rate differential. Furthermore, banks’ foreign assets held by non-banks are found to be significantly related to the respective level of inter-bank dealings, such that a restriction on the overall amount of activities exists. Finally, global bank flows of opposite directions are found to be positively correlated, highlighting the fact that the perceived risk of foreign lending is reduced by simultaneous increases in banks’ foreign liabilities.     

Determinants of US investment in real estate abroad

The purpose of this paper is to analyse and discuss those factors which are contributing to the expansion of US FDI in real estate. The empirical results of this model of FDI in real estate show that as US foreign financial liabilities increase, there is an accompanying increase in its FDI in real estate. This result is consistent with the study by Russekh, F., Ruffin, R., 1986. The role of foreign direct investment in US capital flows. Am. Econ. Rev. 76, 1127–1130, who showed that US FDI abroad is a substitute for US financial assets. Furthermore, the empirical results indicate that as returns from the US stock market decline, there are more incentives for US investors to invest in foreign real estate. The empirical results also show that US financial wealth, US FDI in manufacturing and banking and US bilateral trade contribute positively to the expansion of US FDI in real estate.     

Aspects of international financial services

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issues related to international financial services, particularly foreign direct investment in banking. The paper discusses the challenges of measuring incomes generated from the activities of multinational banks, including their international lending and direct investment in host countries. The paper highlights the complementary role of FDI and trade in financial services and discusses investment in banking services. The patterns of FDI in banking in Eastern European countries, Latin America and East Asia are also analysed with a focus on the costs and benefits of FDI in banking in the emerging countries.     

Has NAFTA Increased Labor Market Integration between the United States and Mexico?

This article analyzes three criteria for labor market integrationbetween Mexico and the United States before and since the NorthAmerican Free Trade Agreement: the responsiveness of Mexicanwages to US wage shocks, the speed at which relative wages returnto a long-run differential, and changes in the rate of convergenceof absolute wages. Tests for increased integration using thesethree criteria generate mixed results, which are then exploredby directly incorporating trade, foreign direct investment (FDI),and migration. The results suggest that trade and FDI did infact positively contribute to integration but that the increasein border enforcement depressed Mexican wages, masking the positivebenefits.     

Migration, Trade, and Foreign Direct Investment in Mexico

Part of the rationale for the North American Free Trade Agreementwas that it would increase trade and foreign direct investment(FDI) flows, creating jobs and reducing migration to the UnitedStates. Since poor data on illegal migration to the United Statesmake direct measurement difficult, data on migration withinMexico, where census data permit careful analysis, are usedinstead to evaluate the mechanism behind predictions on migrationto the United States. Specifications are provided for migrationwithin Mexico, incorporating measures of cost of living, amenities,and networks. Contrary to much of the literature, labor marketvariables enter very significantly and as predicted once possiblecredit constraint effects are controlled for. Greater exposureto FDI and trade deters outmigration, with the effects workingpartly through the labor market. Finally, some tentative inferencesare presented about the impact of increased FDI on Mexico–U.S.migration. On average, a doubling of FDI inflows leads to a1.5–2 percent drop in migration.     

Bilateral Export Trade,Outward and Inward FDI: A Dynamic Gravity Model Approach Using Sectoral Data from Malaysia

In light of a change in the foreign direct investment (FDI) landscape such as the rapid growth of outward FDI from Malaysia since 2007, this article ascertains the possible impact of inward and outward FDI on Malaysia’s bilateral export trade at the sectoral level, using a dynamic gravity approach. The findings reveal that both inward and outward FDI are complementary to bilateral export trade in the services, mining, and manufacturing sectors. Furthermore, the distance elasticity and the real effective exchange rate have a different negative impact on different sectors. Overall, the sectoral bilateral exports could not insulate against external events.     

Determinants of Regional Investment Decisions in China: An Econometric Model of Tax Incentive Policy

This paper examines whether concessionary tax rates and tax incentives can attract foreign direct investment (FDI) into certain designated areas in China. Since China opened its doors to foreign investors in 1979, tax benefits have been used extensively to attract FDI into different areas. In 1991, a new tax law was introduced which superseded two previous income tax laws. This new law provides additional tax benefits which improve the investment environment for foreign investors. This study investigates the effect of China's tax rates and tax incentive policy on FDI and on the locational choices of foreign firms. Our empirical results indicate that tax rates and incentives are important determinants of regional investment decisions in China, after controlling for potential confounding variables covering infrastructure, unemployment rate, wage rate and agglomeration economics. Specifically, areas offering lower tax rates and increased tax incentives are found to attract greater amounts of FDI. The impetus of the tax effect on FDI is more apparent in the post-1991 period due to changes in the tax laws. Our results also suggest that infrastructure variables are important determinants of regional investment decisions.     

金融深化、FDI溢出效应与地区TFP——基于省级面板门槛模型的实证分析

在考虑经济运行互动关系中内在非线性结构的前提下,从金融深化角度探究了外商直接投资（FDI）对地区全要素生产率（TFP）的溢出效应的影响机制,采用1992-2011年我国29个省级单位的面板数据,通过运用非线性理论的“门槛模型”检验和回归方法,以金融深化为门槛变量,实证研究了外商直接投资对地区全要素生产率的影响.结果发现,总体上金融深化和外商直接投资都有利于提高全要素生产率,且存在基于金融深化的“双门槛效应”,即不同地区的金融深化水平对外商直接投资的溢出效应的影响存在非线性的结构变化,随着金融深化和发展水平的不断提高,外商直接投资的溢出效应呈区间递增的态势.     

Foreign Direct Investment in Mexico since the Approval of NAFTA

Cross-country panel data are used to assess the effect of free-tradeagreements on flows of foreign direct investment (FDI). Free-tradeagreements are found to have a significant positive effect onFDI flows, and free-trade agreements are found to matter morefor the smaller members of the agreement. For example, the NorthAmerican Free-Trade Agreement’s (NAFTA) effect on FDIflows into Mexico is much larger than its effect on flows intothe United States. These cross-country results are used to assessNAFTA’s effect on FDI flows into Mexico. After controllingfor a set of other factors—such as an increase in worldwideFDI flows—the trade agreement is found to generate FDIflows nearly 60 percent higher than they would have been withoutthe agreement.     

英国脱欧后美欧贸易投资关系及其变化

由于英国正式脱欧,美国与欧洲的贸易和投资关系快速变化。从贸易角度看,商品贸易中欧盟地位有所下降,成为美国第三大商品出口市场和第二大进口来源市场,美欧之间的贸易商品构成也发生了变化;服务贸易中由于英国所占份额最大,英国脱欧也将影响美欧之间的服务贸易额。从投资角度看,美欧仍是彼此最大的外国直接投资的来源地和目的地。     

Why Do Banks Go Abroad?—Evidence from German Data

This paper provides empirical evidence on the determinants of foreign activities of German banks. We use regionally disaggregated panel data for the years 1981–98 and distinguish foreign direct investment from total foreign assets of domestic banks, of their foreign branches and of their subsidiaries. Foreign activities are found to be positively related to demand conditions on the local market, foreign activities of German firms, and the presence of financial centers. This supports the hypothesis that German banks follow their customers abroad. Exchange rate volatility has some negative impact. EU membership and the abolition of capital controls seem to have exerted a greater influence on foreign assets than on FDI of German banks, thus weakly supporting the hypothesis that the two are substitutes.     

金融服务、外资政策调整与企业出口——基于中国微观数据的验证

基于金融服务是制造业的重要中间品投入,本文研究我国金融服务业外资政策动态变化对下游企业出口行为的影响。理论上,金融服务业外资准入放松有助于提升金融服务中间品的技术和管理水平,直接效果是有助于提升出口企业使用金融服务的多样化和便捷化,促进企业出口。本文采用国家发改委公布的《外商投资产业指导目录》,首次度量了我国金融服务业外资准入政策的动态变化,并使用投入产出表将其与我国制造业企业数据进行上下游关联,有效检验了金融服务业外资政策调整对下游制造业企业出口的作用。结果表明:金融服务业外资政策调整放开有助于提高下游制造业企业出口倾向和收益,存在出口促进作用;管理效率高、出口非技术密集型及资本密集型产品的企业出口对金融服务业外资政策调整的反应更为灵敏;金融服务业外资政策调整放开通过缓解企业融资约束促进企业出口。本文研究显示我国金融服务业外资政策调整放开是推动我国贸易提升的一个重要支撑点。     

The transmission of market shocks and bilateral linkages: Evidence from emerging economies

The linkage between emerging and developed economies spans beyond the usual trade in goods and services. Underlying trade is the flow of capital for foreign direct investment and for speculation in markets, which renders emerging economies vulnerable to shocks from the developed world. As such, equity return volatility in emerging markets is partly attributable to this dependence. To gauge the importance of bilateral economic and cultural factors in driving economic integration, we adopt a two-step process. First, we use Diebold and Yilmaz's spillover index methodology to extract spillover indices representative of the return volatility spillover effects of the United States, the developed portion of the Euro area, and Japan on financial markets in Asia, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Eastern and Central Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Second, we test whether these indices are governed by economic and cultural factors. Our results show that the spillover effects vary across markets and that a strong correlation exists with the volume of trade, security investment, common language, distance, and market capitalization.     

FDI与全要素生产率增长：金融发展门槛效应检验

本文基于中国大陆1995-2009年省级面板数据,实证检验了外商直接投资对全要素生产率增长的促进作用是否依赖于金融发展水平的问题。结果发现：只有当金融发展水平越过门槛值之后,外商直接投资才会产生显著的全要素生产率增长效应;目前中国金融发展水平尚未进入这一阶段,而且本身也不足以对全要素生产率增长产生积极的贡献。     

An Information-Based Model of Foreign Direct Investment: The Gains from Trade Revisited

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is observed to be a predominant form of capital flows to emerging economies, especially when they are liquidity-constrained internationally during a global financial crisis. The financial aspects of FDI are the focus of this paper. We analyze the problem of channelling domestic savings into productive investment in the presence of asymmetric information between the managing owners of firms and other portfolio stakeholders. We explore the role played by FDI in reviving equity-financed capital investment for economies plagued by such information problems. In the presence of information asymmetry, the paper identifies, however, how FDI gives rise to foreign overinvestment as well as domestic undersaving. The gains from trade argument (applied to intertemporal trade) is re-examined in this case of informational-asymmetry-driven FDI. We show that the gains could be sizable when the domestic credit market is either under-developed or failing as a result of a financial crisis. But with a well-functioning domestic credit market, the gains turn into losses. Surprisingly, capital may flow into the country even when the autarkic marginal productivity of capital in the domestic economy falls short of the world rate of interest. In such a situation, capital should have efficiently flown out rather than in, and FDI is a social loss-generating phenomenon.     

Corporate Insurance and Debt: The Case of China*

Finance theorists have long argued that corporate purchases of property insurance can reduce the probability and hence the expected costs of financial distress. And by so doing, the corporate use of insurance can reduce borrowing costs and/ or increase debt capacity, reduce the overall cost of capital, and increase firm value. This article attempts to apply this argument to the case of publicly traded companies in China, which provides a particularly interesting environment given the significant presence of both foreign direct investment and state shareholdings in its corporate sector. From their study of several hundred Chinese companies during the period 1997‐2003, the authors report the following conclusions: Companies with higher borrower costs tend to purchase more property insurance, which in turn has the effect of increasing their debt capacity. Smaller companies are more likely than larger firms both to insure their assets and to purchase more property insurance (as a percentage of assets), reflecting their greater vulnerability to financial shocks and larger potential benefit from insurers' real advisory services (such as loss prevention advice). Companies with more and larger growth opportunities are more likely to purchase insurance, reflecting their higher expected costs of financial distress (from possible underinvestment) than firms with limited growth opportunities. Companies with higher levels of state ownership tend to insure their assets to a greater extent, suggesting that the managers of such companies insure to protect their job security, particularly as the availability of state subsidies to the Chinese corporate sector has declined since market reforms were initiated in 1978.     

Foreign Direct Investment,Institutional Quality,and Financial Development along the Belt and Road: An Empirical Investigation

ABSTRACT

The source of financial development is less investigated in the literature, especially the role foreign direct investment (FDI) plays on financial development. Using data from 50 countries joining the Belt and Road Initiative, this article at first time tests the impact of FDI on financial development in a host country. Empirical results show that FDI can significantly improve the development of financial sector, especially the development of financial markets. FDI is found to be a stronger driver of financial development for countries with higher quality institutions. Moreover, FDI not only increases financial deepening, but also enhances financial function.