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The Rise of Foreign Direct Investment Regulation in Investment‐recipient Countries

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  • Anastasia Ufimtseva

Abstract

This research paper seeks to explain why investment‐recipient countries, like Australia and Canada, reject certain investments in strategic industries and shield some domestic business from foreign acquisitions. Existing studies suggest that the decision to restrict FDI is driven by national security concerns, which are often conceptualized as a catch‐all concept. This paper develops a novel theoretical construct – ‘FDI acceptability threshold’ (a maximum point of political tolerance for any given foreign investment) – to provide a more nuanced understanding of government decisions to reject FDI. This theoretical construct is based on four factors – nature of the domestic firm/industry, nature of the acquirer, external opposition, and domestic backlash. Drawing on two cases of Chinese SOEs’ investment in the energy sector in Australia and Canada, this paper demonstrates that investment‐recipient countries are more likely to protect a domestic business where foreign ownership threatens domestic industry by exceeding FDI acceptability thresholds. Given that these thresholds are often not directly identified in the host country’s policies, this paper proposes that host countries should clarify these conditions to ensure that they continue to attract FDI.

Suggested Citation

  • Anastasia Ufimtseva, 2020. "The Rise of Foreign Direct Investment Regulation in Investment‐recipient Countries," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 11(2), pages 222-232, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:glopol:v:11:y:2020:i:2:p:222-232
    DOI: 10.1111/1758-5899.12788
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Salvatore,Dominick (ed.), 1993. "Protectionism and World Welfare," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521424899, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Oliver McPherson‐Smith, 2021. "Diversification, Khashoggi, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 12(2), pages 190-203, April.
    2. Jing Li & Daniel Shapiro & Anastasia Ufimtseva, 2024. "Regulating inbound foreign direct investment in a world of hegemonic rivalry: the evolution and diffusion of US policy," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(2), pages 147-165, June.
    3. Sarah Bauerle Danzman & Sophie Meunier, 2023. "Naïve no more: Foreign direct investment screening in the European Union," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(S3), pages 40-53, July.
    4. Yi-Chi Hsiao & Hsueh-Liang Wu & Chun-Ping Yeh, 2023. "An investigation of the bridging interface strategies used by Chinese MNE when undertaking FDI to Taiwan," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(4), pages 1485-1512, September.
    5. Anne Marie Thow & Wolfgang Alschner & Faisal Aljunied, 2023. "Public health clauses in international investment agreements: Sword or shield?," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(2), pages 260-269, May.

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