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Regional Blocks and Imperial Legacies: Mapping the Global Offshore FDI Network

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  • Daniel Haberly
  • Dariusz Wójcik

Abstract

While foreign direct investment (FDI) is generally assumed to represent long-term investments within the real economy, approximately 30–50 percent of global FDI is accounted for by networks of offshore shell companies created by corporations and individuals for tax and other purposes. To date, there has been limited systematic research on the global structure of these networks. Here we address this gap by employing principal component analysis to decompose the global bilateral FDI anomaly matrix into its primary constituent subnetworks. We find that the global offshore FDI network is highly globalized, with a centralized core of jurisdictions in Northwest Europe and the Caribbean exercising a largely homogenous worldwide influence. To the extent that the network is internally differentiated, this appears to primarily reflect a historic layering of social and political relationships. We identify four primary offshore FDI subnetworks, bearing the imprint of four key processes and events: European, particularly UK colonialism, the post–WWII hegemonic alliance between the United States and Western Europe, the fall of Soviet communism, and the rise of Chinese capitalism. We also find evidence of qualitative, but not quantitative, variation in offshore FDI based on national rule of law and communist history.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Haberly & Dariusz Wójcik, 2015. "Regional Blocks and Imperial Legacies: Mapping the Global Offshore FDI Network," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 91(3), pages 251-280, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:recgxx:v:91:y:2015:i:3:p:251-280
    DOI: 10.1111/ecge.12078
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    Cited by:

    1. Päivi Karhunen & Svetlana Ledyaeva & Keith D. Brouthers, 2022. "Capital Round-Tripping: Determinants of Emerging Market Firm Investments into Offshore Financial Centers and Their Ethical Implications," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(1), pages 117-137, November.
    2. Pier Luigi Sacco & Alex Arenas & Manlio De Domenico, 2022. "The political economy of big data leaks: Uncovering the skeleton of tax evasion," Papers 2202.13417, arXiv.org.
    3. Delatte, Anne-Laure & Guillin, Amelie & Vicard, Vincent, 2022. "Grey zones in global finance: The distorted geography of cross-border investments," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    4. Petr Janský & Jan Láznička & Miroslav Palanský, 2021. "Tax treaties worldwide: Estimating elasticities and revenue foregone," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 359-401, May.
    5. Sharafutdinova,Gulnaz & Lokshin,Michael M., 2020. "Hide and Protect : A Role of Global Financial Secrecy in Shaping Domestic Institutions," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9348, The World Bank.
    6. Sacco, Pier Luigi & Arenas, Alex & De Domenico, Manlio, 2023. "The political economy of big data leaks: Uncovering the skeleton of tax evasion," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    7. Ronen Palan & Hannah Petersen & Richard Phillips, 2023. "Arbitrage spaces in the offshore world: Layering, ‘fuses’ and partitioning of the legal structure of modern firms," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 55(4), pages 1041-1061, June.
    8. I. P. Gurova, 2020. "Offshore Investment in the Russian Economy," Studies on Russian Economic Development, Springer, vol. 31(4), pages 449-456, July.
    9. Rex McKenzie & Rowland Atkinson & Andrea Ingianni, 2024. "Applying the global wealth chain typology to property purchases in the Liverpool and Merseyside Area," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 56(2), pages 367-381, March.
    10. Kirsten Martinus & Thomas Sigler & Iacopo Iacopini & Ben Derudder, 2019. "The role of tax havens and offshore financial centers in Asia-Pacific networks: evidence from firm-subsidiary connections," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(5), pages 389-411, November.
    11. Dariusz Wójcik & Stefanos Ioannou, 2020. "COVID‐19 and Finance: Market Developments So Far and Potential Impacts on the Financial Sector and Centres," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 111(3), pages 387-400, July.
    12. Matti Ylönen & Ringa Raudla & Milan Babic, 2024. "From tax havens to cryptocurrencies: secrecy-seeking capital in the global economy," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(2), pages 563-588, March.
    13. repec:wsr:wpaper:y:2020:i:194 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Bruno Casella, . "Looking through conduit FDI in search of ultimate investors – a probabilistic approach," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    15. Sophie Therese Schneider & Konstantin M. Wacker, 2022. "Explaining the global landscape of foreign direct investment: Knowledge capital, gravity, and the role of culture and institutions," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(10), pages 3080-3108, October.
    16. Casella, Bruno, 2019. "Looking through conduit FDI in search of ultimate investors – a probabilistic approach," MPRA Paper 95188, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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