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Transportation cost and the geography of foreign investment

In: Handbook of International Trade and Transportation

Author

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  • Laura Alfaro
  • Maggie Xiaoyang Chen

Abstract

Falling transportation costs and rapid technological progress have precipitated an explosion of cross-border flows in goods, services, investments, and ideas led by multinational firms. This chapter reviews existing theories and evidence, addressing questions including: How is FDI distributed across space? Why does the law of gravity apply? How do the costs of transporting goods, tasks, and technologies influence firms’ decisions to separate tasks geographically and locate relative to one another? The authors discuss a variety of theoretical mechanisms through which transport cost and other geographic friction influence FDI and present the key empirical studies and findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Alfaro & Maggie Xiaoyang Chen, 2018. "Transportation cost and the geography of foreign investment," Chapters, in: Bruce A. Blonigen & Wesley W. Wilson (ed.), Handbook of International Trade and Transportation, chapter 12, pages 369-406, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:elg:eechap:17028_12
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    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Maggie Xiaoyang & Lin, Chuanhao, 2020. "Geographic connectivity and cross-border investment: The Belts, Roads and Skies," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    2. Haoyun Meng & Peidong Deng & Jinbo Zhang, 2022. "Nonlinear Impact of Circulation-Industry Intelligentization on the Urban–Rural Income Gap: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-26, August.
    3. Shi Li & Hironobu Nakagawa, 2022. "Exchange rates and foreign direct investment: Evidence from Chinese firm‐level data," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(9), pages 2902-2923, September.
    4. Jarosław M. Nazarczuk & Stanisław Umiński & Tomasz Brodzicki, 2020. "Determinants of the spatial distribution of exporters in regions: the role of ownership," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 64(3), pages 547-574, June.
    5. Charlie Joyez, 2019. "Alignment of Multinational Firms along Global Value Chains: A Network-based Perspective," GREDEG Working Papers 2019-05, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    6. Ivan Deseatnicov & Konstantin Kucheryavyy & Kyoji Fukao, . "Exports, trade costs and FDI entry: evidence from Japanese firms," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    7. Wang, Zhe & Jiang, Dianchun & Zhang, Ming, 2024. "Seeking new location advantages: Analysis of emerging digital cross-border M&As—Based on TIMG index," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(2).
    8. Ziran Ding, 2021. "Optimal Tariffs with Firm Heterogeneity, Variable Markups, and FDI," Bank of Lithuania Working Paper Series 99, Bank of Lithuania.
    9. Alen Mulabdic & Gaurav Nayyar, 2024. "Is the U.S. Friend-Shoring, Nearshoring, or Reshoring ? Evidence from Greenfield Investment Announcements," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11006, The World Bank.
    10. Bartelme, Dominick & Ziv, Oren, 2024. "The internal geography of firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    11. Charlie Joyez, 2017. "Network Structure of French Multinational Firms," Working Papers DT/2017/08, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).

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