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Intra-Regional FDI and Economic Integration in South Asia: Trends, Patterns and Prospects

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  • Prema-chandra Athukorala

Abstract

This paper examines trends and patterns of intra-regional FDI in South Asia, with a focus on the potential for integrating production processes among countries in the region through further trade and investment policy reforms. The empirical evidence pieced together from scattered sources suggests that horizontal (market seeking) FDI has continued to dominate South Asian intra-regional FDI, with a significant shift in recent years in favour of services sector activities. Vertical (efficiency seeking) FDI in the region has remained confined to a few product lines, predominately garments, and also a few industries in which the availability of specific natural resources plays an important role in the site selection decisions of firms. In other industries, including electronics and electrical goods in which global production sharing is heavily concentrated, there is no evidence of notable cross-border operations by regional firms. The limited achievement so far in fostering cross-border production sharing through vertical FDI has been the outcome of unilateral, rather than region-wide, trade and investment policy reforms.

Suggested Citation

  • Prema-chandra Athukorala, 2013. "Intra-Regional FDI and Economic Integration in South Asia: Trends, Patterns and Prospects," Departmental Working Papers 2013-05, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:pas:papers:2013-05
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Asian Development Bank Institute, 2017. "Asian Economic Integration Report 2016," Working Papers id:11730, eSocialSciences.
    2. Karishma Banga, 2019. "Digital technologies and 'value' capture in global value chains: Empirical evidence from Indian manufacturing firms," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-43, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Soraya Caro Vargas, editor, 2020. "Economic Corridors in Asia: Paradigm of Integration? A Reflection for Latin America," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Finanzas, Gobierno y Relaciones Internacionales, number 139, April.
    4. Akram Masoud Haddad, 2018. "The Impacts of the Inwards and Outwards FDI on the Development Measured By HDI: the Case of United Arab Emirate," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 8(4), pages 301-312.
    5. Adam Marszk, 2014. "Economic Integration and Foreign Direct Investment: Review of Main Theoretical Concepts," Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship at the Cracow University of Economics., vol. 2(3), pages 79-89.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    South Asia; foreign direct investment; production networks; free trade agreements (FTAs);
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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