The global pattern of foreign direct investment (FDI) is quite similar to the world trade pattern. In particular, intra-industry FDI between rich nations is almost as pervasive as intra-industry trade among rich nations. In the ‘standard’ multinational corporation (MNC) model (of Markusen,...

The theory of tax competition suggests that different tools might be used to attract physical capital and taxable profits. While it is assumed that FDI in real activity is deterred by high effective taxes, investment undertaken for purpose of profit-shifting is deterred by a higher statutory tax...

The choice of a foreign firm’s entry mode into a host country is a strategic decision which impacts its future survival and success in other countries. By employing multinomial logit regression, this study aims to investigate the impact of the firm’s level of financial data on the entry mode...

In this paper, we empirically re-assess the question which theoretical models and motives are most suitable to explain global patterns of foreign direct investment (FDI). Compared to previous studies, we use bilateral FDI positions with a much more comprehensive coverage of emerging and...

We develop a new methodology to decompose the observed decline in multinational corporations' (MNCs') effective tax rates into profit shifting to tax havens and several other components. We apply this methodology to the best available data for MNCs headquartered in the US - from the Bureau of...

The integration of world capital markets carries important implications for the design and impact of tax policies. This paper evaluates research findings on international taxation, drawing attention to connections and inconsistencies between theoretical and empirical observations. Diamond and...

Intangibles exhibit zero marginal licensing cost, including cross-border intra-firm licensing of intangibles within a MNC. A MNC may not realize the full profit potential of licensing intangibles intra-firm, however, under suboptimal negotiated transfer pricing schemes. Our negotiated transfer...

This essay addresses the recent deceleration in the pace of global FDI and asks whether multinational corporations are actually in retreat. It identifies the forces that are slowing the expansion of FDI, and sketches the role that multinational corporations will play in the future.

This paper offers an introduction to the special issue on FDI and multinational corporations. It summarizes the contents of the five papers included, and relates them to the recent litera-ture on the subject.

This essay addresses the recent deceleration in the pace of global FDI and asks whether multinational corporations are actually in retreat. It identifies the forces that are slowing the expansion of FDI, and sketches the role that multinational corporations will play in the future.