The rise of "euro-emerging" multinationals

Javier Santiso, VOXEU, 22 de febrero de 2010

FDI fell sharply in 2009, but these figures mask some of the strong trends of the last decade. Until recently a dominant share of FDI simply went from OECD nation to OECD nation. The decade has seen some important new trends of the “multipolar world” type. FDI from emerging countries has been on the rise (an Indian steel company buying a Belgian steel company). But emerging markets have also become more important as destinations of FDI, above all from OECD multinationals. This trend will continue over the next decade and will keep on transforming profoundly OECD corporations that are incorporating more and more emerging markets in their core activities.

Recently UNCTAD released figures of worldwide FDI for 2009. Global inflows fell by nearly 40% from $1.7 trillion in 2008 to less than $1.0 trillion in 2009.

The data underlines a larger slump for OECD developed economies relative to their emerging markets peers. While in OECD developed economies the decline of 2009 prolonged the one of 2008, in emerging economies the contraction of 2009 comes after a rise in 2008. While in the UK or the US, the slumps have been massive (-93% and -57%), China fell by a meagre 3%. China drew a comfortable $90 billion from foreign companies investing in the country's factories and other productive assets in 2009. In December 2009 alone, China attracted more than $12 billion in FDI, up 103% from a year earlier. Some emerging countries like Peru even enjoyed a rise of 28%. Most of the emerging countries however saw a reduction of FDI – but from a peak in 2008. In Brazil, for example, FDI fell by half in 2009 but from a historical record in 2008 of $45 billion. In Colombia, the fall has been less pronounced (-15% in 2009) but also from a peak in 2008. In India, according to the national estimates, FDI in the year to March 2010 would be about $18 billion, from a peak of $27 billion in the year 2008/2009.

These trends are pointing to a greater resilience of FDI inflows towards emerging markets and a relative stronger hit taken by OECD peers. Not only emerging multinationals are investing more and more abroad, sustaining the levels of FDI inflows in other emerging economies, but OECD multinationals are keeping an eye on developing countries. In fact, in parallel to a major event that took place in the 2000s (the rise of emerging multinationals as international investors), we are witnessing the persistence of another solid trend: the increasing interest of OECD multinationals for emerging economies. This appetite for developing countries is already profoundly transforming some of the major OECD multinationals. As a consequence of both trends, for the first time, three emerging countries, China, India and Brazil, are ranked in the top five in the AT Kearney Confidence Index – tracking the major future destinations for FDI – showing a strong vote of confidence for the strength of these economies in the future.