Search

Objective: Despite a growing literature on the impact of economic nationalism on public attitudes toward foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, public attitudes toward U.S. FDI outflows have been overlooked. We examine U.S. residents' attitudes toward FDI outflows to two host countries viewed unfavorably by the American public, Mexico and China, and the extent to which providing accurate information on FDI flows between the United States and these countries affects the biases toward American investment in these countries. Methods: We implemented a vignette experiment on respondents from 11 southern states in the United States. Results: We find little support for the existence of bias toward Mexico or China as destinations for American investment, nor do we find that providing accurate information on bilateral FDI flows affects perceptions of U.S. FDI outflows to these countries. Instead, individuals' economic self‐interest and sociotropic concerns influence their attitudes toward FDI outflows. Conclusions: Individuals' preferences toward U.S. FDI outflows are not shaped by biases toward investment destinations but by their concerns regarding the economic and security consequences of American overseas investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last five years the maquiladora industry of Mexico has seen a slowing of the rapid growth experienced during the 1990s. The maquiladora expansion has been linked to U.S. foreign direct investment. Additionally, China has become a major receptor of U.S. investment for the production and export of manufacturing goods. This study estimates the impact of the industrial activity of the United States and China on employment demand in the maquiladora industry of the northern border states of Mexico. Using data on industrial activity, real hourly wages, and the real exchange rate as a proxy of Mexican competitiveness, a bounds test cointegration analysis is developed. The results show that the variables affecting external demand have impacted the maquiladora employment trend negatively, while wage differentials and the exchange rate tend to encourage maquiladora activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]