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Do bilateral investment treaties attract foreign direct investment? The role of international dispute settlement provisions

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  • Michael Frenkel
  • Benedikt Walter
Abstract
This paper studies the effects of the strength of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) on foreign direct investment (FDI) activity. We develop an index for the strength of international dispute settlement provisions included in BITs in order to examine the role the content of BITs plays in attracting FDI. To this end, we make use of data from UNCTAD's International Investment Agreement Mapping Project and measure the provision strength of 2,571 BITs. Using panel data of bilateral and total FDI inflows and inward FDI stocks, we study the effect of BITs on FDI. Our main finding indicates that stronger international dispute settlement provisions in BITs are indeed associated with positive effects on FDI activity.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Frenkel & Benedikt Walter, 2019. "Do bilateral investment treaties attract foreign direct investment? The role of international dispute settlement provisions," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(5), pages 1316-1342, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:42:y:2019:i:5:p:1316-1342
    DOI: 10.1111/twec.12743
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Gopalan, Sasidaran & Park, Cyn-Young & Rajan, Ramkishen S., 2023. "Do International Investment Agreements attract Foreign Direct Investment inflows? Revisiting the literature," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 471-481.
    2. Jonas Gamso & Robert Grosse, 2021. "Trade agreement depth, foreign direct investment, and the moderating role of property rights," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(2), pages 308-325, June.
    3. Peter Egger & Alain Pirotte & Catharine Titi, 2023. "International investment agreements and foreign direct investment: A survey," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(6), pages 1524-1565, June.
    4. Li, Shi & Urata, Shujiro & Zhao, Long, 2024. "Does the quality of bilateral investment treaties matter for outward foreign direct investment?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 207-218.
    5. Eichler, Stefan & Nauerth, Jannik A., 2021. "Bilateral investment treaties and sovereign default risk," CEPIE Working Papers 04/21, Technische Universität Dresden, Center of Public and International Economics (CEPIE).
    6. Eichler, Stefan & Nauerth, Jannik A., 2024. "Bilateral investment treaties and portfolio investment," CEPIE Working Papers 01/24, Technische Universität Dresden, Center of Public and International Economics (CEPIE).
    7. Anirudh Shingal & Maximiliano Mendez-Parra, 2020. "African greenfield investment and the likely effect of the African Continental Free Trade Area," Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) Working Paper 387, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi, India.
    8. Markus Leibrecht & Christian Bellak, 2023. "Investment policy reform as a driver of foreign direct investment: Evidence from China," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 1035-1053, October.
    9. Parfait Bihkongnyuy Beri & Gabila Fohtung Nubong, 2021. "Impact of bilateral investment treaties on foreign direct investment in Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 33(3), pages 439-451, September.
    10. Gómez-Mera, Laura & Varela, Gonzalo, 2024. "Emerging market multinationals and international investment agreements," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(3).
    11. Bellak, Christian & Leibrecht, Markus & Chaisse, Julien, 2022. "Reforming International Investment Agreements," Department of Economics Working Paper Series 328, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    12. Eichler, Stefan & Nauerth, Jannik André, 2024. "Bilateral investment treaties and portfolio investment," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    13. INADA Mitsuo & JINJI Naoto, 2020. "To What Degree does Policy Uncertainty Affect Foreign Direct Investment? Micro-evidence from Japan's International Investment Agreements," Discussion papers 20022, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    14. Shujiro Urata & Youngmin Baek, 2023. "Impact of International Investment Agreements on Japanese FDI: A firm‐level analysis," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(8), pages 2306-2334, August.
    15. Zhen Yu & Yuankun Li & Jing Zhao, 2023. "Epidemic outbreak and foreign direct investment fluctuation," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(4), pages 1051-1081, April.
    16. Priyanka Kher & Dongwook Chun, 2020. "Policy Options to Mitigate Political Risk and Attract FDI," World Bank Publications - Reports 34380, The World Bank Group.
    17. Mitsuo Inada & Naoto Jinji, 2024. "The impact of policy uncertainty on foreign direct investment: Micro‐evidence from Japan's international investment agreements," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 934-957, August.
    18. Lay, Jann & Tafese, Tevin, 2020. "Promoting private investment to create jobs: A review of the evidence," PEGNet Policy Studies 02/2020, PEGNet - Poverty Reduction, Equity and Growth Network, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    19. Li, Shi & Zhao, Long, 2021. "Bilateral investment treaties and foreign direct investment: Evidence from emerging market firms," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    20. Simon Hartmann & Rok Spruk, 2023. "The impact of unilateral BIT terminations on FDI: Quasi-experimental evidence from India," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 259-296, April.
    21. KAMATA Isao, 2023. "Foreign Direct Investment and Labor Market Flexibility in Host and Source Countries," Discussion papers 23033, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    22. Radovan Kastratović & Predrag Bjelić, 2023. "The Effectiveness Of Bilateral Investment Treaties In Attracting Foreign Direct Investment: The Case Of Serbia," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 68(237), pages 37-68, April – J.
    23. Marta Bengoa & Blanca Sanchez-Robles & Yochanan Shachmurove, 2020. "Do Trade and Investment Agreements Promote Foreign Direct Investment within Latin America? Evidence from a Structural Gravity Model," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-32, October.
    24. Christian Bellak & Markus Leibrecht & Julien Chaisse, 2022. "Reforming International Investment Agreements: The Case of China and Foreign Direct Investment," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp328, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
    25. Kox, Henk L.M. & Rojas Romasgosa, Hugo, 2019. "Gravity estimations with FDI bilateral data: Potential FDI effects of deep preferential trade agreements," MPRA Paper 96318, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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