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Fixed Costs, Foreign Direct Investment, and Gravity with Zeros

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  • Ronald B. Davies
  • Helga Kristjánsdóttir

Abstract

Fixed costs play a crucial role in current models of foreign direct investment (FDI), yet they are almost entirely ignored in empirical treatments of FDI. We fill this gap by using a 1989–2001 panel of FDI flows into Iceland to examine the determinants of fixed costs for multinational firms and how these influence aggregate patterns of investment. Our additions to research in the field include usage of several natural‐resource variables, and the analysis of data on initial entry of FDI into a developed country. We use the Heckman two‐step procedure, which allows us to account for fixed costs and their impact on estimation. Taken together, we find that the standard OLS approach to the data incorrectly links the quantity of FDI to source‐country variables while in fact most of their role is in determining whether FDI takes place at all.

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  • Ronald B. Davies & Helga Kristjánsdóttir, 2010. "Fixed Costs, Foreign Direct Investment, and Gravity with Zeros," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(1), pages 47-62, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:reviec:v:18:y:2010:i:1:p:47-62
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9396.2009.00864.x
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    3. Ronald B. Davies & Iulia Siedschlag & Zuzanna Studnicka, 2021. "The impact of taxes on the extensive and intensive margins of FDI," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(2), pages 434-464, April.
    4. Léopold BIARDEAU & Anne BORING, 2017. "L’impact de l’aide au développement sur les flux commerciaux entre pays donateurs et pays récipiendaires," Working Paper 464d860e-562e-4ae7-98f5-1, Agence française de développement.
    5. Katharina van Treeck & Konstantin M. Wacker, 2020. "Financial globalisation and the labour share in developing countries: The type of capital matters," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(9), pages 2343-2374, September.
    6. Jordi Paniagua, 2016. "A note on implementing gravity datasets with abundant zeros," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(1), pages 268-280.
    7. Garrett, Jinzhuo Z., 2016. "Explaining asymmetries in bilateral FDI flows," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 155-171.
    8. Eicher, Theo S. & Helfman, Lindy & Lenkoski, Alex, 2012. "Robust FDI determinants: Bayesian Model Averaging in the presence of selection bias," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 637-651.
    9. Yuko Hashimoto & Konstantin M. Wacker, 2012. "The Role of Risk and Information for International Capital Flows: New Evidence from the SDDS," Courant Research Centre: Poverty, Equity and Growth - Discussion Papers 124, Courant Research Centre PEG.
    10. Thorvaldur Gylfason & Inmaculada Martínez-Zarzoso & Per Magnus Wijkman, 2015. "Free Trade Agreements, Institutions and the Exports of Eastern Partnership Countries," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(6), pages 1214-1229, November.
    11. Enkang Li & Mengqiu Lu & Yu Chen, 2020. "Analysis of China’s Importance in “Belt and Road Initiative” Trade Based on a Gravity Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-21, August.
    12. Åsa Hansson & Karin Olofsdotter, 2014. "Labor Taxation and FDI Decisions in the European Union," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 263-287, April.
    13. Kox, Henk L.M., 2022. "A micro-macro model of foreign direct investment: knowledge-based gravity forces, self-selection and third-country effects," MPRA Paper 115542, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Kox, Henk L.M., 2022. "Explaining foreign direct investment patterns: a testable micro-macro gravity model for FDI," MPRA Paper 115273, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Guðmundur Kristján Óskarsson & Helga Kristjánsdóttir, 2021. "EU Country and EFTA Country Export Differences," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-8, March.
    16. Maria Teresa Costa-Campi & Jordi Paniagua & Elisa Trujillo-Baute, 2015. "Are energy market integrations a green light for FDI?," Working Papers 2015/18, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    17. Helga Kristjansdottir & Fjola Bjork Karlsdottir, 2020. "Uk Foreign Direct Investment In The Oecd, Culture And Geography," Baltic Journal of Economic Studies, Publishing house "Baltija Publishing", vol. 6(5).
    18. Helga Kristjánsdóttir & Stefanía Óskarsdóttir, 2021. "European FDI in Ireland and Iceland: Before and after the Financial Crisis," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, January.
    19. Robert Reed & Christina Lira & Lee Byung‐Ki & Junsoo Lee, 2016. "Free Trade Agreements and Foreign Direct Investment: The Role of Endogeneity and Dynamics," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 83(1), pages 176-201, July.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business

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