Foreign direct investment

Transnational companies are responsible for a significant proportion of the production of advanced goods, investment in technological research and development and international trade. Despite playing an important role in the region’s exports and production of advanced consumer durables, they contribute little to job creation and can cause balance-of-payments problems in some countries, because of their profit remittances abroad. The region must shift the focus of FDI attraction policies towards sectors that contribute to structural change and reduce external sector pressures.

Activities

25 Oct 2023 | Event | Other events

Building Economic Resilience—Japan’s Evolving Approach to Engagement with Latin America

How is Japanese engagement with the region evolving to accommodate shifting global and regional conditions? What are the possibilities for enhanced Ja...

16 Oct 2019 | Event | Meetings and technical symposiums

Second High-Level China-Latin America Investment and Cooperation Forum

The Second High-Level China-Latin America Investment and Cooperation Forum, organized jointly by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin Amer...

News

15 Oct 2025 | Briefing note
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United States economic outlook: evolving trends in the ownership of United States federal debt

This special issue of the United States economic outlook examines the trends in the ownership composition of United States federal debt holders

17 Jul 2025 | Press Release
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Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean Rose by 7.1% in 2024, Totaling $188.962...

To boost these inflows to the region, and their positive impact on recipient economies, FDI must be considered a strategic tool in countries’ producti...

10 Jul 2025 | News
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ECLAC Will Present 2025 Report on Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean

José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, the United Nations regional organization’s Executive Secretary, will give a press conference on Thursday, July 17.

19 Jun 2025 | Briefing note
            ECLAC Trained Provincial Officials from Argentina in Investment and Export Promotion in a Program Organized by CFI

ECLAC Trained Provincial Officials from Argentina in Investment and Export Promotion in a Program Or...

As part of its cooperation with the Federal Investment Council (CFI), ECLAC delivered three modules in the Provincial Investment and Export Promotion ...