Colombia received the fourth largest amount of forign direct investment in Latin America in 2011, according to a UN report.
Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean 2011, by the UN´s Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), states that in 2011 Colombia received $13.2 billion, behind Brazil, Mexico and Chile.
Last year Brazil, Mexico and Chile received $66.6 billion, $19.4 billion and $17.3 billion in FDI respectively. Peru is in fifth position of FDI flows with $7.7 billion.
The Latin America and Caribbean region received $153.4 billion in total, which represents 10% of total global flows of FDI. This figure is up by $32.6 billion on last year’s amount of $120.8 billion in FDI.
“Despite the uncertainty which still governs the global financial markets, the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean attracted important quantities of FDI in 2011, amounts which will stay high in 2012,” said the Executive Secretary of ECLAC Alicia Barcena.
Colombia is also fourth largest investor of money abroad among Latin American and Caribbean countries, behind Chile ($11.8 billion) and Mexico ($9.6 billion). In 2011, the Andean nation invested $8.3 billion outside its borders.
ECLAC predicts that in 2012 the flows of FDI into Latin America and the Caribbean will stay at high levels. However the organization warns that the crisis in the Eurozone worsens, the flow of investments could be reversed.
As a result of this uncertainty and the attractive position of Latin America and the Caribbean for transnational companies, ECLAC foresees that in 2012 the FDI in the region will range between a 8% increase and an 2% decrease on 2011 figures.
From Colombia Reports
