Spatial Patterns of Foreign Direct Investment: Do Agglomeration Effects Explain the Spatial Pattern of FDI in Latin America and Asia: a Spatial Econometric Analysis

Emerging economic theory attempts to explain multinational enterprises' decisions to locate foreign direct investment in certain countries at the expense of others. Recent literature explores the reasons why FDI into a host country may depend on FDI in neighboring countries. This paper extends the previous research by employing an econometric model that measures the relationship between one country's FDI and other geographically-proximate countries' FDI. I conduct a comparative study between the emerging countries of Latin America and Asia to test whether positive agglomeration externalities exist across country borders. By studying agglomeration externalities, I address the question: does the level of FDI in a host country help explain the level of FDI in surrounding countries? I find that within Latin America, an increase in FDI in one country leads to a positive spillover effect on FDI into neighboring countries. This result supports the agglomeration effects hypothesis across borders within Latin America. Asia, however. yields inconclusive results.