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Internationalization Indicators

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has played a fundamental role in furthering international economic integration and has been a driving force behind worldwide economic restructuring over the past 15 years. After a steady increase, FDI flows peaked as a percentage of GDP in 1989 and declined sharply for the following few years. However, with the renewed dynamism of the world economy in recent years and a favourable international investment environment, direct investment flows picked up again and continued to surge in the second half of the 1990s.

Foreign investment takes the form of direct investment, portfolio investment, reserve assets or other investments. A foreign investment is classified as a direct investment if the foreign investor holds at least 10% of the ordinary shares or voting rights in an enterprise and exerts some influence over its management. Any investment amounting to less than 10% of ordinary shares is classified as portfolio investment.

Invest flow inwards and abroad are presented in the following 2 tables. The data has been obtained from national agencies and World bank reports. The data seems to vary for the three years 1995,96 and 97 except for Singapore, Mexico and Philippines. Last column of table gives total inflow including stocks.

Table:Investment flow inwards in US$ billion for 1995, 1996 and 1997

Member Economy	Investment flow inwards in US$ billion in 1995	Investment flow inwards in US$ billion in 1996	Investment flow inwards in US$ billion in 1997	Investment Stocks inwards in 1997	Total Investment flow inwards in 1997 in US$ billion
Australia	12.8	5.6	9.15	126.26	135.41
Brunei	...	...	...	...	0
Canada	9.21	6.83	7.13	137.11	144.24
Chile	2.98	4.72	5.42	25.06	30.48
China	35.85	40.18	44.24	217.34	261.58
Hong Kong	2.1	...	2.1	26.87	28.97
Indonesia	4.35	6.19	4.68	62.15	66.83
Japan	0.04	0.2	3.2	33.16	36.36
Korea	1.78	2.33	2.84	14.83	17.67
Malaysia	4.18	5.08	5.11	45.2	50.31
Mexico	9.53	9.19	12.48	86.84	99.32
New Zealand	3.54	1.58	0.93	29.54	30.47
Papua New Guinea	...	...	...	...	0
Peru	...	...	...	...	0
Philippines	1.48	1.52	1.25	9.93	11.18
Russia	2.02	2.48	6.24	12.71	18.95
Singapore	7.39	7.44	8.63	78.06	86.69
Chinese Taipei	1.56	...	1.56	19.85	21.41
Thailand	2.07	2.34	3.75	23.1	26.85
USA	57.65	77.62	93.45	720.79	814.24
Viet Nam	...	...	...	...	0