IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/35377.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Outward FDI, merchandise and services trade: evidence from Singapore

Author

Listed:
  • Wong, Koi Nyen
  • Goh, Soo Khoon

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the causality pattern between OFDI and major external trade components (i.e. exports and imports of merchandise as well as services) using Singapore as a case, since it is one of the largest outward investors in the Asian region, and is overtly trade-dependent. The findings reveal that there is evidence of OFDI-led trade hypothesis, particularly, merchandise exports and imports, an indication for OFDI to open up important channels for intra-firm trade activities, home country sourcing and backward integration. However, there is no evidence of causality relationships between Singapore’s OFDI and services trade because the nature of services is mainly to provide market presence in the consuming country. As such, Singaporean multinationals are likely to outsource their services either from the host country services sector or their own services-supporting subsidiaries that have been relocated abroad. The present study provides implications for policy formulation on strengthening the OFDI-services trade linkages.

Suggested Citation

  • Wong, Koi Nyen & Goh, Soo Khoon, 2011. "Outward FDI, merchandise and services trade: evidence from Singapore," MPRA Paper 35377, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:35377
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/35377/1/MPRA_paper_35377.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Levent Kosekahyaoglu, 2006. "A comparative analysis of FDI in Turkey and the CEECs: Is there any link between FDI and trade?," Journal of Business Economics and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(4), pages 183-200.
    2. Toda, Hiro Y & Phillips, Peter C B, 1993. "Vector Autoregressions and Causality," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 61(6), pages 1367-1393, November.
    3. Head, Keith & Ries, John, 2001. "Overseas Investment and Firm Exports," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(1), pages 108-122, February.
    4. Grossman, Gene M & Helpman, Elhanan, 1989. "Product Development and International Trade," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(6), pages 1261-1283, December.
    5. James R. MARKUSEN, 2021. "Multinationals, Multi-Plant Economies, And The Gains From Trade," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: BROADENING TRADE THEORY Incorporating Market Realities into Traditional Models, chapter 1, pages 3-24, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    6. Clausing, Kimberly A, 2000. "Does Multinational Activity Displace Trade?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 38(2), pages 190-205, April.
    7. Ma, Yue & Morikawa, Koichiro & Shone, Ronald, 2000. "A macroeconomic model of direct investment in foreign affiliates of Japanese firms," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 311-335, December.
    8. Bruce A. Blonigen, 2019. "In Search of Substitution Between Foreign Production and Exports," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Foreign Direct Investment, chapter 9, pages 293-323, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    9. Kokko, Ari, 2006. "The Home Country Effects Of Fdi In Developed Economies," EIJS Working Paper Series 225, Stockholm School of Economics, The European Institute of Japanese Studies.
    10. Keith Head & John Ries, 2001. "Overseas Investment and Firm Exports," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(1), pages 108-122, February.
    11. Roger Svensson, 1996. "Effects of overseas production on home country exports: Evidence based on Swedish multinationals," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 132(2), pages 304-329, September.
    12. James R. Markusen & Anthony J. Venables, 2021. "Multinational firms and the new trade theory," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: BROADENING TRADE THEORY Incorporating Market Realities into Traditional Models, chapter 3, pages 47-67, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    13. Granger, C W J, 1969. "Investigating Causal Relations by Econometric Models and Cross-Spectral Methods," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 37(3), pages 424-438, July.
    14. Horst, Thomas, 1972. "The Industrial Composition of U. S. Exports and Subsidiary Sales to the Canadian Market," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 62(1), pages 37-45, March.
    15. Nelson, Charles R. & Plosser, Charles I., 1982. "Trends and random walks in macroeconmic time series : Some evidence and implications," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 139-162.
    16. Helpman, Elhanan, 1984. "A Simple Theory of International Trade with Multinational Corporations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 92(3), pages 451-471, June.
    17. Linda S. Goldberg & Michael W. Klein, 1999. "International trade and factor mobility: an empirical investigation," Staff Reports 81, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    18. S. Lael Brainard, 1993. "A Simple Theory of Multinational Corporations and Trade with a Trade-Off Between Proximity and Concentration," NBER Working Papers 4269, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Lipsey, Robert E & Weiss, Merle Yahr, 1984. "Foreign Production and Exports of Individual Firms," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 66(2), pages 304-308, May.
    20. Granger, C. W. J., 1988. "Some recent development in a concept of causality," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 39(1-2), pages 199-211.
    21. Goh, Soo Khoon & Wong, Koi Nyen, 2011. "Malaysia's outward FDI: The effects of market size and government policy," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 497-510, May.
    22. Sims, Christopher A & Stock, James H & Watson, Mark W, 1990. "Inference in Linear Time Series Models with Some Unit Roots," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 58(1), pages 113-144, January.
    23. Ellingsen, Gaute & Likumahuwa, Winfried & Nunnenkamp, Peter, 2006. "Outward FDI by Singapore: a different animal?," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 3947, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Soo Khoon Goh & Koi Nyen Wong, 2014. "Could Inward FDI Offset the Substitution Effect of Outward FDI on Domestic Investment? Evidence from Malaysia," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2014(4), pages 413-425.
    2. Bojnec, Štefan & Ferto, Imre, 2014. "Outward Foreign Direct Iinvestments and Merchandise Exports: The European OECD Countries," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(2), pages 87-99, June.
    3. Rikap, Cecilia & Flacher, David, 2020. "Who collects intellectual rents from knowledge and innovation hubs? questioning the sustainability of the singapore model," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 59-73.
    4. Bee Wah Tan & Soo Khoon Goh & Koi Nyen Wong, 2016. "The effects of inward and outward FDI on domestic investment: evidence using panel data of ASEAN–8 countries," Journal of Business Economics and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(5), pages 717-733, September.
    5. Yuanyuan Kou & Huiying Chen & Kai Liu & Huajie Xu, 2023. "Multinational Corporations and Technological Innovation Development of China’s High-Tech Industries: A Heterogeneity-Based Threshold Effect Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-19, April.
    6. Camilleri, Silvio John & Falzon, Joseph, 2013. "The Challenges of Productivity Growth in the Small Island States of Europe: A Critical Look of Malta and Cyprus," MPRA Paper 62489, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Goh, Soo Khoon & Wong, Koi Nyen & Tham, Siew Yean, 2013. "Trade linkages of inward and outward FDI: Evidence from Malaysia," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 224-230.
    2. Goh, Soo Khoon & Wong, Koi Nyen & Tham, Siew Yean, 2012. "Does Outward FDI Matter in International Trade? Evidence from Malaysia," MPRA Paper 39715, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Lin, Chih-Fan & Yü, Mei-Chen, 2013. "Substituting or Complementing?---The Influence of Chinese Overseas Direct Investment on Domestic Exports," MPRA Paper 55349, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Haoyuan Ding & Kees G. Koedijk & Chang Li & Tong Qi, 2021. "The internationalisation of Chinese firms: Impact of FDI experience on export performance," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(12), pages 3609-3640, December.
    5. Amiti, Mary & Wakelin, Katharine, 2003. "Investment liberalization and international trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 101-126, October.
    6. Chakraborty, Debashis & Mukherjee, Jaydeep & Lee, Jaewook, 2016. "Do FDI Inflows influence Merchandise Exports? Causality Analysis on India over 1991-2016," MPRA Paper 74851, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Rosa Forte, 2004. "The relationship between foreign direct investment and international trade. Substitution or complementarity? A survey," FEP Working Papers 140, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    8. Ana Paula Africano & Manuela Magalhaes, 2005. "FDI and Trade in Portugal: a gravity analysis," FEP Working Papers 174, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    9. James R. Markusen & Keith E. Maskus, 2001. "General-Equilibrium Approaches to the Multinational Firm: A Review of Theory and Evidence," NBER Working Papers 8334, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Martin Falk & Mariya Hake, 2008. "A Panel Data Analysis on FDI and Exports," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 34229, April.
    11. Johnson, Andreas, 2006. "FDI and Exports: the case of the High Performing East Asian Economies," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 57, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    12. M.T. Alguacil & V. Orts, "undated". "A multivariate cointegrated model testing for temporal causality between exports and outward FDI: The Spanish case," Studies on the Spanish Economy 50, FEDEA.
    13. M. T. Alguacil & V. Orts, 2003. "Inward Foreign Direct Investment and Imports in Spain," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 19-38.
    14. repec:agr:journl:v:4(621):y:2019:i:4(621):p:219-240 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Manuela Magalhães & Ana Paula Africano, 2007. "A Panel Analysis of the FDI Impact on International Trade," FEP Working Papers 235, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    16. Bruce Blonigen, 2005. "A Review of the Empirical Literature on FDI Determinants," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 33(4), pages 383-403, December.
    17. Liu, Xiaming & Wang, Chengang & Wei, Yingqi, 2001. "Causal links between foreign direct investment and trade in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 12(2-3), pages 190-202.
    18. Eduardo Levy Yeyati & Ernesto H. Stein & Christian Daude, 2003. "La integración regional y la ubicación de la inversión extranjera directa," Research Department Publications 4344, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    19. Mitze, Timo & Alecke, Björn & Untiedt, Gerhard, 2008. "Trade, FDI and Cross-Variable Linkages: A German (Macro-)Regional Perspective," MPRA Paper 12245, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Eduardo Levy Yeyati & Christian Daude & Ernesto Stein, 2003. "Regional Integration and the Location of FDI," Business School Working Papers doce, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.
    21. Ketan C. LIMAYE & Achut P. PEDNEKAR, 2019. "Does FDI substitute exports of home country? A case of US FDI in select Asian economies," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(4(621), W), pages 219-240, Winter.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Outward FDI; multinationals; Singapore; Granger causality; merchandise and services trade;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:35377. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.