A survey from the Site Selectors Guild shows that FDI megaprojects are set to increase in popularity over the next five years. A Site Selectors Guild (SSG) survey released on 17 May indicates that numbers of foreign direct investment (FDI) megaprojects are expected to remain constant or increase over the next five years as the world continues its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The SSG characterises FDI megaprojects as being an investment of more than $1bn in value, crea

- Capital earmarked for sustainable investment has been growing dramatically, even during COVID-19, reaching more than $35 trillion. - Yet, well over 95% of this pool remains in developed economies. The challenge is to get this capital to where it is most needed: productive investments in developing economies. - The launch of the World Investment for Development Alliance (WIDA) at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2022 aims to meet this challenge. When investing is su

“Digital MNEs can provide a boost to competitiveness across all sectors, new opportunities for business and entrepreneurial activity and new avenues for market access and participation in global value chains,” said James Zhan, UNCTAD’s director of investment and enterprise development. Digital multinational enterprises are growing at breakneck speed and changing the nature of cross-border investment. The international production footprint of digital multinational enterprises

China is the world’s second largest economy after the U.S., and it is expected to eventually climb into the number one position in the coming decades. While China’s economy has had a much rockier start this year due to zero-tolerance COVID-19 lockdowns and supply chain issues, our visualization covers a full year of data for 2021⁠—a year in which most economies recovered after the initial chaos of the pandemic. In 2021, China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached ¥114 trilli

As the pandemic-fueled liquidity begins to wane and the reality of inflation and higher interest rates sets in, many economies will face considerable challenges. Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries are vying to attract global investors and increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Yet, capital flows are reversing from emerging to developed markets—specifically in the United States, where interest rates are rising to levels not seen since 2018. The year 2018 is illus

A new study by the APEC Policy Support Unit revealed that foreign direct investment provides an important pathway to global value chain participation, showing that participation develops as investments accumulate. “When member economies hold a central position in the foreign direct investment network, they have the tendency to also be hubs in the global value chain trade network,” said Dr Akhmad Bayhaqi, a senior analyst with the APEC Policy Support Unit. “And when economies

Annually KW Group: Asia FDI, Trade, Economic Development & Market Access support over 100+ businesses & government entities with inbound and outbound Asia-Pacific foreign direct investment (FDI), trade, economic development, market access, research, policy & intelligence projects on a full-time & project basis. Established in 2010 we have extensive start-up / scale-up experience & networks with regional investors, governments, multipliers, and businesses. ​ By 2030 65% of the

Higher investment growth was observed in Belt and Road region; health care and life sciences sector in Europe and North America was popular China’s overall outward direct investment (ODI) reached US$145.2 billion in 2021, up 9.2% year-on-year (YOY), whilst non-financial ODI reached US$113.6 billion, up 3.2% YOY. Belt and Road (B&R) non-financial ODI increased 14.1% YOY, which continued to outperform the overall growth rate. The announced value of China overseas mergers and ac

As EV & Advanced Manufacturing hots up in Asia a timely article by Investment Monitor on the critical elements that are driving the new agenda; 'Angola, Australia and the US are all poised to ramp up the production of rare earth elements during the next few years, but China is set to continue enjoying an 80% share of the global refining of the vital metals.' In January 2022, China said it was creating a new state-owned enterprise, China Rare Earth Group, a ‘megafirm’ that wil

Annually KW Group support over 100+ businesses & government entities with inbound and outbound APAC FDI, trade, market access & tradetech projects on a full-time & project basis. "By 2030 65% of the world's middle-class consumers will be found in Asia. It is forecast that ASEAN will become the world’s fourth-largest economy with a USD 4 trillion consumer market." Established 2010 we work with regulators, donors, governments & businesses to support Asia trade & investment, FDI

Standard Chartered Bank says Malaysia has been named as the top expansion market for Middle East companies focusing on Asean The bank said the latest survey for its “Borderless Business: Middle East-Asean Corridor” found that Middle East companies were positive about business growth in the region, with a significant 78% viewing Malaysia as the top location. Key growth sectors for Malaysia in the report’s growth watch list that were attractive to Middle East companies were ref

Gigafactories are an increasingly important driver of FDI, but attracting this investment requires a varied mix of incentives. Another excellent article by Jon Whiteaker, Investment Monitor hot on the heels of Vietnams EV Unicorn Vinfast announcing a $2Billion Dollar gigafactory investment in N. Carolina The competition for gigafactory investment is only set to increase, with global capacity predicted to be 10 times its 2020 level by 2030, according to research by GlobalData.

Overseas money is starting to pull out of Chinese markets after the risk of investing in autocratic countries was starkly highlighted by sharp drops in Russia's currency and securities prices following its invasion of Ukraine. Market data shows foreign investors sold a net 38.4 billion yuan ($6.04 billion) of Chinese stocks and bonds in the January-March period, one of the highest such quarterly figures on record. "Outflows from China on the scale and intensity we are seeing

This report also attempts to highlight the pandemic induced operation model transformation of IPAs including investment sustainability, investment inclusivity, inclusive regional development and knowledge sharing across the spectrum of stakeholders. The report identifies that most countries are focused on actively attracting foreign and domestic investments with the help of highly proactive IPAs that have strong investment promotion policies in place. In general, majority of

The Golden Triangle SEZ in Laos is mired in scandal and criminality, but the silence from SEZ authorities on the matter is deafening. In February 2022, authorities raided the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Laos, freeing dozens of Chinese women from forced prostitution. For years, the Golden Triangle SEZ has been home to numerous illegal industries including human trafficking, wildlife smuggling and drugs production. Despite this, the zone has announced signifi

Seoul leads fDi Benchmark’s analysis, followed by Chennai and Guangzhou The prominence of major Asian clusters in the electronics industry has made them attractive for research and development (R&D) operations. All but one of the 20 most competitive locations to set up an electronics R&D centre are located in Asia, according to an assessment conducted using fDi Benchmark, an investment location comparison tool. Seoul, the South Korean capital which is home to the large resear

A new UNCTAD report examines investment trends and policies in least developed countries (LDCs) since the 4th UN Conference on LDCs in 2011. It finds that, in the last decade, LDCs have made significant reforms in investment policy. For example, two thirds of all LDCs enacted at least one policy measure on investment between 2011 and 2021. Yet FDI inflows to LDCs as a group increased only marginally, even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The report looks at how further actio

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia approved a record 306.5 billion ringgit ($73.33 billion) in investments last year, an 83% jump from 2020 led by the manufacturing sector, the nation's investment promotion agency said on Tuesday. The manufacturing sector secured 195.1 billion ringgit worth of projects in 2021, 114% more than in the previous year, with the bulk of investment going to the electrical and electronics industry, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

The essential guide to RCEP for anyone establishing operations in Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand or Vietnam. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2022 after almost a decade of negotiations. The agreement brings together Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealan

New United Nations ESCAP FDI working paper The conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a milestone for regional economic integration in the Asian-Pacific Region. It is of interest to study whether and how the RCEP, especially its investment chapter and investment facilitation provisions could help its members realize the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This report first reviews the relevance of international investment agreements (IIAs) t