FDI in LatAm reaches record $185b
2014-06-02 11:54:02
Latin America received a record $184.92 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2013, according to an Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) report.
During the release of its report at ECLAC's headquarters here Thursday, the UN agency said the figure was 5 percent up on 2012.
Meanwhile, ECLAC predicted a slight drop in FDI in the region in 2014, attributing it to slower economic expansion and falling metal prices over the past two years.
However, ECLAC said the region's long-term growth in consumption and natural resources were still attractive to transnational companies.
According to the study, 82 percent of FDI flows went to the region's six big economies, with Brazil and Mexico ranking the top two.
Brazil attracted $64.046 billion in 2013, representing 35 percent of the region's FDI, while Mexico garnered $38.286 billion, doubling its amount in 2012. FDI also increased significantly in Panama and Bolivia.