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Economic and Institutional Determinants of FDI Flows to Latin America: A Panel Study

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  • Miguel D. Ramirez

    (Department of Economics, Trinity College)

Abstract

This paper estimates a pooled (fixed-effects) FDI investment function that seeks to identify some of the major economic and institutional determinants of FDI flows to nine major Latin American countries during the 1980-2001 period. First, it develops a conceptual framework of analysis that seeks to identify some of the major economic and institutional determinants of FDI. Second, the paper gives an overview of FDI flows to Latin America during the 1990-2006 period, with particular emphasis on their contribution to the financing of gross capital formation. Third, an empirical model for FDI flows to Latin America is outlined and an economic rationale is provided for the included variables and their expected signs. Fourth, the estimates from a panel regression designed to explain the variation in FDI flows to Latin America during the 1980-2001 period suggests that market size (proxied by real GDP), credit provided by the private banking sector, government expenditures on education, the real exchange rate, and the level of economic freedom have a positive and significant effect. On the other hand, public investment spending, the debt-service ratio, and the volatility of the real exchange rate have a negative and significant effect on FDI flows. The panel unit root tests on the residuals of the relevant panel regressions also suggest that there is a stable, long-term relationship among the included variables; i.e., the selected variables in the reported regressions are cointegrated over the relevant time period. Finally, the paper summarizes the major findings and offers some policy prescriptions for attracting FDI flows to the region and enhancing their positive direct and indirect effects

Suggested Citation

  • Miguel D. Ramirez, 2010. "Economic and Institutional Determinants of FDI Flows to Latin America: A Panel Study," Working Papers 1003, Trinity College, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tri:wpaper:1003
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    File URL: http://www3.trincoll.edu/repec/WorkingPapers2010/wp10-03.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Silvia Gómez Soler, 2012. "Organized Crime, Foreign Investment and Economic Growth," Revista Economía y Región, Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, vol. 6(2), pages 5-32, December.
    2. Zsofia KOMUVES & Miguel D. RAMIREZ, 2014. "FDI, Exchange Rate, and Economic Growth in Hungary, 1995-2012: Causality and Cointegration Analysis," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 14(1), pages 45-58.
    3. Aarón Garavito A. & Ana María Iregui B. & María Teresa Ramírez G., 2012. "Determinantes de la inversión extranjera directa en Colombia: Un estudio a nivel de firma," Borradores de Economia 9672, Banco de la Republica.
    4. Gil C., Edgar Ariel & López M., Silvio Fernando & Espinosa C., Dorian Alonso, 2013. "Factores determinantes de la inversión extranjera directa en América del Sur," Perfil de Coyuntura Económica, Universidad de Antioquia, CIE, issue 22, pages 55-85, May.
    5. Aarón Garavito A. & Ana María Iregui B. & María Teresa Ramírez G., 2012. "Determinantes de la inversión extranjera directa en Colombia: Un estudio a nivel de firma," Borradores de Economia 714, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    6. Rosa Forte & Nancy Santos, 2015. "A cluster analysis of FDI in Latin America," Latin American Journal of Economics-formerly Cuadernos de Economía, Instituto de Economía. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile., vol. 52(1), pages 25-56, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ADF Fisher statistic. Economic Freedom Index (EFI); Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); Latin America; Panel Unit Root Tests; Pedroni Residual Cointegration Test; Pooled Regression; and Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR);
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • F40 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - General
    • F01 - International Economics - - General - - - Global Outlook
    • O50 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - General

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