How trade and investment agreements affect bilateral foreign direct investment: Results from a structural gravity model

Henk Kox and Hugo Rojas‐Romagosa
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Hugo Rojas-Romagosa

The World Economy, 2020, vol. 43, issue 12

Abstract: We employ a structural gravity approach to analyse the impact of preferential trade agreements (PTAs), bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and other policies on bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI). We use the UNCTAD global database on bilateral FDI stocks and flows. To control for the heterogeneous nature of PTAs, we employ two different indicators of PTA depth. We find that on average signing a PTA increases bilateral FDI stocks by around 30%. Nevertheless, we also find that ‘deeper’ or comprehensive PTAs (e.g., including provisions on investment, public procurement and intellectual property rights provisions) do not have a significantly different impact than signing regular PTAs. Belonging to the EU single market, on the other hand, has a strong impact and increases bilateral FDI by around 135%, and signing a BIT has an effect that is comparable to signing a PTA.

Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (40)

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https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.13002

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Working Paper: How Trade and Investment Agreements Affect Bilateral Foreign Direct Investment: Results from a Structural Gravity Model (2020)
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