A Simple and Flexible Dynamic Approach to Foreign Direct Investment Growth: The Canada-United States Relationship in the Context of Free Trade

Peter J. Buckley, Jeremy Clegg, Nicolas Forsans and Kevin Reilly
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Peter J. Buckley: Leeds University Business School
Jeremy Clegg: Leeds University Business School
Nicolas Forsans: Leeds University Business School

International Finance from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: This paper asks a simple question: Did Wilfred Laurier’s dream of free trade with the United States, when it came to fruition in 1989, also impact on foreign direct investment (FDI) into Canada by US multinationals? This paper argues that the customary static econometric approach found in the FDI literature, along with the assumption that policy changes influence only the intercept term, are inadequate to address the question. Instead we introduce an innovative dynamic framework to support the testing of hypotheses on behavioural changes in the variables using a structural break framework. A key conclusion is that prior to signing the free trade agreement US FDI responded only to current growth in the Canadian economy, in a unitary fashion, and current exchange rate shifts. This can be described as a static relationship. The implementation of the free trade agreements between Canada and the USA increased the responsiveness of US FDI to growth in the Canadian economy by a factor greater than two. Furthermore, dynamics are found in the form of a lagged effect for changes in the growth in the Canadian economy and interest rate differentials. These conclusions challenge the dominant view, including that in official policy circles, that the free trade agreement had no impact on US firms’ FDI decisions in Canada. Note: Previous versions of this paper were entitled: “A Simple and Flexible Dynamic Approach to Foreign Direct Investment Growth: Did Canada Benefit From the Free Trade Agreements with the United States?”

Keywords: Canada-United States; foreign direct investment; empirical relationship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F3 F4 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 45 pages
Date: 2005-07-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ifn and nep-int
Note: Type of Document - pdf; pages: 45. Previous versions of this paper were entitled: “A Simple and Flexible Dynamic Approach to Foreign Direct Investment Growth: Did Canada Benefit From the Free Trade Agreements with the United States?”
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Related works:
Chapter: A Simple and Flexible Dynamic Approach to Foreign Direct Investment Growth: The Canada-United States Relationship in the Context of Free Trade (2010)
Journal Article: A Simple and Flexible Dynamic Approach to Foreign Direct Investment Growth: The Canada‐United States Relationship in the Context of Free Trade (2007)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wpa:wuwpif:0507002

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