IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hai/wpaper/200708.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Capital Account Liberalization and Foreign Direct Investment

Author

Listed:
  • Ilan Noy

    (Department of Economics, University of Hawaii at Manoa)

  • Tam B. Vu

    (Department of Economics, University of Hawaii at Hilo)

Abstract

We examine the impact of capital account policies on FDI inflows. Using an annual panel dataset of 83 developing and developed countries for 1984-2000, we find that capital account openness is positively but only very moderately associated with the amount of FDI inflows after controlling for other macroeconomic and institutional measures. To a large extent, other country characteristics seem to determine FDI inflows instead of capital account policies. Furthermore, we find that capital controls are easily circumvented in corrupt and politically unstable regimes. We conclude that liberalizing the capital account is not sufficient to generate increases in inflows unless it is accompanied by a lower level of corruption or a decrease in political risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Ilan Noy & Tam B. Vu, 2007. "Capital Account Liberalization and Foreign Direct Investment," Working Papers 200708, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hai:wpaper:200708
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.economics.hawaii.edu/research/workingpapers/WP_07-8.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2007
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bernardo S. de M. Carvalho & Márcio G. P. Garcia, 2008. "Ineffective Controls on Capital Inflows under Sophisticated Financial Markets: Brazil in the Nineties," NBER Chapters, in: Financial Markets Volatility and Performance in Emerging Markets, pages 29-96, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Chinn, Menzie D. & Ito, Hiro, 2006. "What matters for financial development? Capital controls, institutions, and interactions," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 163-192, October.
    3. Hali J. Edison & Michael W. Klein & Luca Antonio Ricci & Torsten Sløk, 2004. "Capital Account Liberalization and Economic Performance: Survey and Synthesis," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 51(2), pages 1-2.
    4. Aizenman, Joshua & Noy, Ilan, 2006. "FDI and trade--Two-way linkages?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 317-337, July.
    5. Kristin J. Forbes, 2007. "The Microeconomic Evidence on Capital Controls: No Free Lunch," NBER Chapters, in: Capital Controls and Capital Flows in Emerging Economies: Policies, Practices, and Consequences, pages 171-202, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. P. Bagnoli & W. J. McKibbin & P. J. Wilcoxen, "undated". "Global Economic Prospects: Medium Term Projections and Structural Change," Discussion Papers 121, Brookings Institution International Economics.
    7. Tam Vu & Byron Gangnes & Ilan Noy, 2008. "Is foreign direct investment good for growth? Evidence from sectoral analysis of China and Vietnam," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(4), pages 542-562.
    8. Brian J. Aitken & Ann E. Harrison, 2022. "Do Domestic Firms Benefit from Direct Foreign Investment? Evidence from Venezuela," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Globalization, Firms, and Workers, chapter 6, pages 139-152, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    9. Joshua Aizenman & Ilan Noy, 2003. "Endogenous Financial Openness: Efficiency and Political Economy Considerations," NBER Working Papers 10144, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Li, Xiaoying & Liu, Xiaming, 2005. "Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: An Increasingly Endogenous Relationship," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 393-407, March.
    11. Borensztein, E. & De Gregorio, J. & Lee, J-W., 1998. "How does foreign direct investment affect economic growth?1," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 115-135, June.
    12. Mr. Ashoka Mody & Antu Panini Murshid, 2002. "Growing Up with Capital Flows," IMF Working Papers 2002/075, International Monetary Fund.
    13. International Monetary Fund, 2002. "Capital Account Liberalization and Financial Sector Stability," IMF Occasional Papers 2002/005, International Monetary Fund.
    14. Chakrabarti, Avik, 2003. "A theory of the spatial distribution of foreign direct investment," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 149-169.
    15. Sebastian Edwards & Roberto Rigobon, 2005. "Capital Controls, Exchange Rate Volatility and External Vulnerability," NBER Working Papers 11434, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Alfaro, Laura & Chanda, Areendam & Kalemli-Ozcan, Sebnem & Sayek, Selin, 2004. "FDI and economic growth: the role of local financial markets," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 89-112, October.
    17. Shang-Jin Wei, 2000. "How Taxing is Corruption on International Investors?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 82(1), pages 1-11, February.
    18. Hines, James R, Jr, 1996. "Altered States: Taxes and the Location of Foreign Direct Investment in America," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(5), pages 1076-1094, December.
    19. Peter Blair Henry, 2003. "Capital-Account Liberalization, the Cost of Capital, and Economic Growth," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(2), pages 91-96, May.
    20. de Mooij, Ruud A & Ederveen, Sjef, 2003. "Taxation and Foreign Direct Investment: A Synthesis of Empirical Research," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 10(6), pages 673-693, November.
    21. Sarno, Lucio & Taylor, Mark P., 1999. "Hot money, accounting labels and the permanence of capital flows to developing countries: an empirical investigation," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 337-364, August.
    22. Jacques Miniane, 2004. "A New Set of Measures on Capital Account Restrictions," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 51(2), pages 1-4.
    23. Theodore H. Moran & Edward M. Graham & Magnus Blomstrom, 2005. "Does Foreign Direct Investment Promote Development?," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number 3810, October.
    24. Bruce A. Blonigen & Miao Wang, 2004. "Inappropriate Pooling of Wealthy and Poor Countries in Empirical FDI Studies," NBER Working Papers 10378, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    25. Montiel, Peter & Reinhart, Carmen M., 1999. "Do capital controls and macroeconomic policies influence the volume and composition of capital flows? Evidence from the 1990s," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 619-635, August.
    26. Chakrabarti, Avik, 2001. "The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment: Sensitivity Analyses of Cross-Country Regressions," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(1), pages 89-113.
    27. Durham, J.B.J. Benson, 2004. "Absorptive capacity and the effects of foreign direct investment and equity foreign portfolio investment on economic growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 285-306, April.
    28. 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.
    29. Albuquerque, Rui & Loayza, Norman & Serven, Luis, 2005. "World market integration through the lens of foreign direct investors," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 267-295, July.
    30. Dennis P. Quinn, 2003. "Capital account liberalization and financial globalization, 1890-1999: a synoptic view," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 8(3), pages 189-204.
    31. Gastanaga, Victor M. & Nugent, Jeffrey B. & Pashamova, Bistra, 1998. "Host Country Reforms and FDI Inflows: How Much Difference do they Make?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 26(7), pages 1299-1314, July.
    32. Hsiao, Cheng & Shen, Yan, 2003. "Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: The Importance of Institutions and Urbanization," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 51(4), pages 883-896, July.
    33. Ashoka Mody, 2004. "Is FDI Integrating the World Economy?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(8), pages 1195-1222, August.
    34. Abdul Abiad & Ashoka Mody, 2005. "Financial Reform: What Shakes It? What Shapes It?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(1), pages 66-88, March.
    35. Asiedu, Elizabeth & Lien, Donald, 2004. "Capital Controls and Foreign Direct Investment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 479-490, March.
    36. Mihir A. Desai & C. Fritz Foley & James R. Hines, 2006. "Capital Controls, Liberalizations, and Foreign Direct Investment," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 19(4), pages 1433-1464.
    37. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    38. Gordon H. HANSON, 2001. "Should Countries Promote Foreign Direct Investment?," G-24 Discussion Papers 9, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    39. Abdul Abiad & Ashoka Mody, 2005. "Financial Reform: What Shakes It? What Shapes It?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(1), pages 66-88, March.
    40. Peter Kennedy, 2003. "A Guide to Econometrics, 5th Edition," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 5, volume 1, number 026261183x, December.
    41. Gray H. Peter, 2004. "Assessing the Need for Controls Over Inward Direct Investment in Developing Countries," Global Economy Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 4(2), pages 1-15, December.
    42. Fernandez-Arias, Eduardo & Hausmann, Ricardo, 2001. "Is foreign direct investment a safer form of financing?," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 34-49, March.
    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. Mouna Gammoudi & Mondher Cherif, 2016. "Capital Account Openness, Political Institutions And Fdi In Mena Region: An Empirical Investigation," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 41(2), pages 53-76, June.
    2. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2021. "Effect of Development Aid on Productive Capacities," EconStor Preprints 233973, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    3. Mouna Gammoudi & Mondher Cherif, 2016. "Threshold effects in the capital account liberalization and foreign direct investment relationship," Middle East Development Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 156-175, January.
    4. Rashid Ahmed Chowdhury & Mohammad Nayeem Abdullah & Jyotirmoy Saha & Rahat Bari Tooheen, 2017. "Problems and Prospects of the Foreign Direct Investment-based Organization in Bangladesh," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(4), pages 488-497.
    5. Dilip K. Das, 2010. "Financial globalization: a macroeconomic angle," Journal of Financial Economic Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 2(4), pages 307-325, November.
    6. Reece, Christopher & Sam, Abdoul G., 2012. "Impact of Pension Privatization on Foreign Direct Investment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 291-302.
    7. Giofré, Maela, 2013. "International diversification: Households versus institutional investors," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 145-176.
    8. Okungbowa Ewere Florence O., 2021. "Cash Flow and Profit Impact on Capital Account Liberalization-Investment Growth Nexus in Nigeria: An Aggregated Firm Case," Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 35(1), pages 201-214, January.
    9. Iorio, Francesca Di & Fachin, Stefano, 2014. "Savings and investments in the OECD, 1970–2007: A test of panel cointegration with regime changes," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 59-76.
    10. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2018. "Multilateral Trade Liberalisation and Financial Openness," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 325-338, October.
    11. Folorunsho M. Ajide & Rufus A. Ajisafe & Olabode P. Olofin, 2019. "Capital Controls, Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth in Selected Developing Countries," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 9(2), pages 191-212, February.
    12. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2019. "Trade Policy Space and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows," EconStor Preprints 196149, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    13. Kukenova, Madina & Monteiro, Jose-Antonio, 2008. "Does Lax Environmental Regulation Attract FDI when accounting for "third-country" effects?," MPRA Paper 11321, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Sep 2008.
    14. Dong, Baomin & Gu, Xinhua & Song, Huasheng, 2017. "Capital market liberalization: Optimal tradeoff and bargaining delay," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 78-88.
    15. Celine Azemar & Julia Darby & Rodolphe Desbordes & Ian Wooton, 2012. "Market Familiarity and the Location of South and North MNEs," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(3), pages 307-345, November.
    16. Saida Daly & Nihel Benali & Manal Yagoub, 2022. "Financing Sustainable Development, Which Factors Can Interfere?: Empirical Evidence from Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-22, August.
    17. Christopher Andrew Hartwell, 2014. "Capital Controls and the Determinants of Entrepreneurship," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 64(6), pages 434-456, December.

    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. M Ayhan Kose & Eswar Prasad & Kenneth Rogoff & Shang-Jin Wei, 2009. "Financial Globalization: A Reappraisal," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 56(1), pages 8-62, April.
    2. Vu, Tam Bang & Noy, Ilan, 2009. "Sectoral analysis of foreign direct investment and growth in the developed countries," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 402-413, April.
    3. Gene Johnson & Tam Vu & Eric Im, 2016. "International Accounting Standards and Foreign Direct Investment," Quarterly Journal of Business Studies, Research Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 2(3), pages 143-150.
    4. M Ayhan Kose & Eswar Prasad & Kenneth Rogoff & Shang-Jin Wei, 2009. "Financial Globalization: A Reappraisal," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 56(1), pages 8-62, April.
    5. Dalila Nicet-Chenaf & Eric Rougier, 2009. "FDI and growth: a new look at a still puzzling issue," Post-Print hal-00798473, HAL.
    6. Charles van Marrewijk & Gus Garita, 2008. "Countries of a Feather flock together," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 08-067/2, Tinbergen Institute, revised 19 Sep 2008.
    7. Reece, Christopher & Sam, Abdoul G., 2012. "Impact of Pension Privatization on Foreign Direct Investment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 291-302.
    8. Maria Cipollina & Giorgia Giovannetti & Filomena Pietrovito & Alberto F. Pozzolo, 2012. "FDI and Growth: What Cross-country Industry Data Say," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(11), pages 1599-1629, November.
    9. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2019. "Trade Policy Space and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows," EconStor Preprints 196149, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    10. Matthias Busse & José Luis Groizard, 2008. "Foreign Direct Investment, Regulations and Growth," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 861-886, July.
    11. Garita, Gus, 2009. "How Does Financial Openness Affect Economic Growth and its Components?," MPRA Paper 20099, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Kose, M. Ayhan & Prasad, Eswar & Rogoff, Kenneth & Wei, Shang-Jin, 2010. "Financial Globalization and Economic Policies," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4283-4359, Elsevier.
    13. William R. Cline, 2010. "Financial Globalization, Economic Growth, and the Crisis of 2007-09," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number 499, October.
    14. Kamel ABDELLAH & Dalila NICET-CHENAF & Eric ROUGIER, 2012. "FDI and macroeconomic volatility: A close-up on the source countries," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2012-21, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    15. Joseph P. Joyce & Ilan Noy, 2008. "The IMF and the Liberalization of Capital Flows," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(3), pages 413-430, August.
    16. Tam Bang Vu & Ilan Noy, 2007. "Sectoral Analysis of Foreign Investment and Growth In the Developed Countries," Working Papers 200725, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    17. Busse, Matthias & Groizard, José Luis, 2005. "FDI, Regulations and Growth," Conference papers 331335, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    18. Akhtaruzzaman, M. & Berg, Nathan & Hajzler, Christopher, 2017. "Expropriation risk and FDI in developing countries: Does return of capital dominate return on capital?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 84-107.
    19. Okada, Keisuke, 2013. "The interaction effects of financial openness and institutions on international capital flows," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 131-143.
    20. Long, Cheryl & Yang, Jin & Zhang, Jing, 2015. "Institutional Impact of Foreign Direct Investment in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 31-48.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Foreign direct investment; capital controls; capital flows; capital account liberalization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration

    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:hai:wpaper:200708. 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: Web Technician (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/deuhius.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.