Trade cost reduction and foreign direct investment

While the “proximity-concentration” theory suggests a positive relationship between trade cost and foreign direct investment (FDI), there is ample evidence showing a negative relationship between them. We show that the possibility of exporting back to the home country from a host country, which is often referred as “home-country export platform FDI”, may generate a negative relationship between trade cost and FDI. Market demand and product market competition may play important roles in this respect.     

Transaction costs and foreign direct investment in developing countries

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been used by a number of developing countries to build a national competitive advantage in a global economy. Most of the literature on FDI in developing countries has focused on low-cost factors in these countries. But in a global economy where low cost factors are available at various locations around the globe, transaction costs related to the assumptions of "bounded rationality" and "opportunism" are becoming increasingly important in FDI decisions. These assumptions have been applied by researchers over the years to explain major changes in the organizational structure of corporations. This paper incorporates the assumptions of bounded rationality and opportunism to discuss factors that a firm considers in its decision to undertake FDI. A statistical analysis was carried out to test the validity of the arguments presented in the paper.     

Migrant networks and foreign direct investment

Although there exists a sizeable literature documenting the importance of ethnic networks for international trade, little attention has been devoted to studying the effects of migrants on foreign direct investment (FDI). The presence of migrants can stimulate FDI by promoting information flows across international borders and by serving as a contract enforcement mechanism. This paper investigates the link between the presence of migrants in the US and US FDI in the migrants' countries of origin, taking into account the potential endogeneity concerns. The results suggest that US FDI abroad is positively correlated with the presence of migrants from the host country. The data further indicate that the relationship between FDI and migration is stronger for migrants with tertiary education.     

Determinants of foreign direct investment

Empirical studies of bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI) activity show substantial differences in specifications with little agreement on the set of included covariates. We use Bayesian statistical techniques that allow one to select from a large set of candidates those variables most likely to be determinants of FDI activity. The variables with consistently high inclusion probabilities include traditional gravity variables, cultural distance factors, relative labour endowments and trade agreements. There is little support for multilateral trade openness, most host‐country business costs, host‐country infrastructure and host‐country institutions. Our results suggest that many covariates found significant by previous studies are not robust.     

Trade,foreign direct investment or acquisition: Optimal entry modes for multinationals

We examine multinationals' optimal entry modes into foreign markets as a function of market size, FDI fixed costs, tariffs and transport costs. Our results highlight why large countries are more likely to attract acquisition investment, while intermediate sized countries may be served predominantly through trade, even in the presence of high tariffs. Small countries are most likely to experience either FDI or no entry. We also show how these results vary with the competition intensity in the host country.FDI fixed costs, tariffs and transport costs are crucial not only in determining whether to engage in FDI or trade, but they are also shown to influence the acquisition choice as trade and FDI threats influence the acquisition price. Finally, we explore the welfare implications of tariff reductions for both the local firm and the multinational and investigate political motives to impose endogenous tariffs that influence not only the welfare of a local firm, but also the entry mode of the multinational.     

Competing back for foreign direct investment

This paper studies policy competition for foreign direct investment between host and home countries. Three results have been obtained. First, policy competition does not change the attractiveness of any country as a location for investment. Second, as a result, policy competition does not change regional welfare. Lastly, the equilibrium policy could be either a subsidy or a tax.     

区域经济增长与外国直接投资

我国区域经济二元化,是指西部地区经济大大落后于东部经济,从而形成地区之间巨大的经济发展差距。改革开放以来,国家实施了一系列有利于东部地区的改革措施及优惠政策,特别是取消和放松对外资进入的管制,出台吸引外国直接投资的相关条例等,形成了我国区域经济开放程度的二元化态势,即东部沿海地区开放程度高,中西部内陆地区开放程度低。东、西部地区开放程度的二元化,直接影响到外国直接投资(FDI)在东、西部投入的数量的差异,进而影响到东、西部资本形成能力、资本运营方式、资本使用效率的差异,而这正是决定改革开放20年来东、西部地区经济发展差距日益扩大区域经济呈现二元化格局的主要原因之一。     

Democracy in the neighborhood and foreign direct investment

The determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) have been extensively studied. Even though there is extensive research in the area, most of it is based on analyzing the effects of host country characteristics on FDI flows, and yet there is little research on how neighboring country characteristics play a role in facilitating FDI flows to host countries. This paper analyzes the association between the democracy level in neighboring countries and FDI flows to host countries. Using bilateral FDI flows from the OECD countries, with a large host country sample, we find that countries surrounded by democratic countries attract higher FDI flows. Furthermore, we find evidence that countries that are surrounded by neighboring countries with good institutions tend themselves to have better institutions, experience lower civil conflict, and have higher political stability and hence indirectly attract higher FDI flows. Our findings suggest that if neighboring countries act in such way as to become more democratic, FDI flows to these countries would be higher since not only does improving the quality of democracy attract more FDI inflows, but also being surrounded by neighboring advanced democratic countries will also lead to higher FDI flows to them.     

Product sophistication and spillovers from foreign direct investment

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries is often associated with higher economic growth due to knowledge and technology spillovers to local firms. One way that FDI speeds up growth is by facilitating the manufacturing of more sophisticated products by local firms. So far, there is a lack of firm‐level evidence how the presence of multinational firms affects the product sophistication of firms in a developing country. The aim of this paper is to fill this gap. We compile an extensive firm–product‐level data set of Indian manufacturing firms, which we complement with information on product sophistication and spillovers from FDI. We then explore different channels through which spillovers from multinationals to local Indian firms foster the manufacturing of sophisticated products. We find evidence that spillovers through supplier linkages strongly increase the manufacturing of sophisticated products in India.     

National levels of corruption and foreign direct investment

We model the relationship between bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI) and the level of corruption in multinational firms’ (MCNs’) home and host countries. We construct and test a model of bilateral FDI between countries that differ in their levels of corruption. FDI is affected negatively both by the level of corruption in the host country and by differences in home- and host-country corruption. Our model emphasizes that MNCs develop skills for dealing with home-country corruption, and these skills become a competitive advantage in similarly corrupt host countries. We test the model using data on bilateral FDI stocks among a large number of home and host countries, using a variety of specifications and estimation strategies to provide robustness. Our results show that the effects of host-country corruption and of differences in corruption levels between home and host countries are statistically and economically significant.     

Tax incentives and foreign direct investment in China

The preferential tax policies for foreign direct investment (FDI) in China were terminated by a tax reform in 2008. This article uses the provincial-level panel data for 1998?2008 before the reform in order to study whether the tax incentive had been a significant determinant of foreign investment decisions. We find that market size and geographic location had significant impacts on the FDI inflow into China but the tax incentive policies were not a sufficient determinant of FDI inflow into China over the periods studied, which provides a rationale for the termination of the tax incentives in FDI at 2008 reform in China.     

The impact of bilateral investment treaties on foreign direct investment

This paper uses a large panel of OECD data on stocks of outward foreign direct investment (FDI) to evaluate the impact of bilateral investment treaties. For several variants of the knowledge capital model of multinationals, we demonstrate that investment treaties exert a significant positive effect on outward FDI, if they actually are implemented. Moreover, even signing a treaty has a positive, although lower and in most specifications insignificant, effect on FDI. Journal of Comparative Economics 32 (4) (2004) 788–804.     

Educated dictators attract more foreign direct investment

Since political risk is greater in dictatorships than in democracies, this paper investigates the hypothesis that foreign investors scrutinize public information on dictators to assess this risk. It checks whether foreign investors use five relevant dictators’ characteristics: age, political experience, education level, education in economics, and prior experience in business. The study is performed on a sample of 100 dictatorial countries from 1973 to 2008. We find that educated dictators are more attractive to foreign investors. We obtain strong evidence that greater educational attainment of the leader is associated with higher FDI. We also find evidence that the leader having tertiary education in economics and prior experience in business is associated with greater FDI. By contrast, the leader's age, and political experience have no relationship with FDI.     

Determinants of foreign direct investment in Spain

This study utilizes panel data as a means of examining the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Spain. Data that are taken in the period 1993–2002 are used in order to estimate the determinants of FDI, at the sectoral level, by differentiating the manufacturing sectors, and at the regional level. The analysis investigates the sectoral, regional and macroeconomic variables that have successfully attracted FDI inflows from those that have not. Empirical results suggest that the differential between labour productivity and the cost of labour has been an important determinant of FDI in Spain during the period 1993–2002. Factors related to demand, the evolution of human capital, the export potential of the sectors and certain macroeconomic determinants that measure the differential between Spain and the European Union average, also play a very important role in attracting flows of FDI. Certain policy issues that are relevant to the results are also discussed.     

Absorptive capacity and the effects of foreign direct investment and equity foreign portfolio investment on economic growth

This study examines the effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) and equity foreign portfolio investment (EFPI) on economic growth using data on 80 countries from 1979 through 1998. The results largely suggest that lagged FDI and EFPI do not have direct, unmitigated positive effects on growth, but some data are consistent with the view that the effects of FDI and EFPI are contingent on the ‘absorptive capacity’ of host countries, with particular respect to financial or institutional development. Moreover, extreme bound analysis (EBA) of significant results indicates that the estimates are robust compared to other empirical studies on growth.     

浅析国际直接投资自由化进程中的中国外资政策

随着全球经济一体化的演进,国际直接投资日趋自由化流动.国际直接投资自由化的兴起在全球经济的增长和国际分工深化的进程中发挥了越来越重要的作用.我国是利用国际直接投资的大国,目前正处于向市场经济转轨的关键时期,经济体制和市场结构还不完善,如何在确保国家经济安全的前提下,推进国际直接投资自由化进程,积极合理地扩大引资规模,应成为人们关注的焦点问题.因此,本文试图探寻国际直接投资自由化的经济机理,总结出国际投资自由化的有效制度安排对现行制度进行调整,以期更好地把握和指导我国改革开放实践及进一步融入国际直接投资自由化进程.     

浅析国际直接投资自由化进程中的中国外资政策

随着全球经济一体化的演进，国际直接投资日趋自由化流动。国际直接投资自由化的兴起在全球经济的增长和国际分工深化的进程中发挥了越来越重要的作用。我国是利用国际直接投资的大国，目前正处于向市场经济转轨的关键时期，经济体制和市场结构还不完善，如何在确保国家经济安全的前提下，推进国际直接投资自由化进程，积极合理地扩大引资规模，应成为人们关注的焦点问题。因此，本文试图探寻国际直接投资自由化的经济机理，总结出国际投资自由化的有效制度安排对现行制度进行调整，以期更好地把握和指导我国改革开放实践及进一步融入国际直接投资自由化进程。     

Host country characteristics and agglomeration in foreign direct investment

By combining unique data on Swedish multinationals with industry data for 18 countries, the influence of host country characteristics on the location of foreign production is analysed. Particular attention is directed towards agglomeration tendencies in firms' location. The sample selection incorporates countries where firms have no affiliate production, which is an extension of previous research in this area. The results suggest that agglomeration effects are present, predominantly in technologically advanced industries. It is also shown that market size, the supply of skilled labour and earlier exports pattern, affect the location of overseas production.