Shaky hopes

ENAR

Of $1.45 trillion in Foreign Direct Investment inflows in 2013, more than two thirds were directed at 42 developed and 10 developing countries. According to the 2014 World Investment Report released last week by UN trade and development body UNCTAD, $566 billion FDI went into developed economies, by which the organization means 30 of 34 OECD countries plus 11 non-OECD European countries, and Bermuda. While $778 billion of FDI inflows targeted developing economies, $529 billion or 68 percent of that amount flowed into only ten countries. China, when viewing the mainland and Hong Kong together, swallowed $201 billion, or almost 14 percent of the global FDI total. Another $108 billion targeted ‘transition’ economies — those between developing and developed. In terms of FDI originations, or outflows, the global total reached $1.41 trillion in 2013, with the lion’s share of 61 percent emanating from developed economies. Both FDI streams showed single-digit percentage gains when