Emerging Economies’ Multinationals: General Features and Specificities of the Brazilian and Chinese Cases

Andrea Goldstein and Fazia Pusterla
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Fazia Pusterla: IADB, Washington - USA

No 223, KITeS Working Papers from KITeS, Centre for Knowledge, Internationalization and Technology Studies, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy

Abstract: The expansion of South-North and South-South FDI reflects the rise of cross-border capital flows, a distinguishing feature of the contemporary global economy, together with the increasing size and complexity of emerging market multinational corporations (EMNCs). Against this background, in emerging economies governments have become increasingly aware of the role outward FDI (OFDI) can play as an instrument to deepen the integration into the world economy. This paper analyzes recent trends in OFDI from Brazil and China. Using annual data for the period 1980 to 2006 for both countries, we test the well-known investment development path (IDP) theory, according to which the net outward investment position of a country depends on its level of development. Results show that both China and Brazil are moving towards the third stage of the path, where domestic firms have acquired ownership and other advantages to go abroad and become leading outward investors. The role of governments, institutions and the characteristics of domestic firms in both countries are considered to be crucial factors in determining the movement along the path.

Keywords: foreign direct investment; emerging economies; investment development path. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F23 O57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: pages 24
Date: 2008-10, Revised 2008-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cna, nep-dev and nep-tra
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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