Publishing Institution: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment / Political Geography: United States

Author:: Terutomo Ozawa
Publication Date:: 10-2009
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Abstract:: President Obama has been supporting a new bill, the Employee Free Choice Act, designed to promote the labor unions' drive for unionization. This bill, if enacted, will surely be a big boon for unions as it helps enlarge their membership, enhance their bargaining power vis-à-vis businesses, and enrich their coffers to wield political clout. An important issue here, however, is how such reinforced unionism contributes to the U.S.'s much needed industrial competitiveness and employment—and, more specifically, how this new policy will affect the U.S. as a host to FDI in the auto industry.
Topic:: Economics, Industrial Policy, International Trade and Finance, and Foreign Direct Investment
Political Geography:: United States

Author:: Laza Kekic
Publication Date:: 10-2009
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Abstract:: The global economic and financial crisis has had a major impact on foreign direct investment (FDI) flows. After declining in 2008 by 17% to US$1.73trn from US$2.09trn in 2007—the high point of a four- year long boom in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M) and FDI—global FDI inflows are forecast to plunge by 44% to less than US$1trn in 2009. The big drop in 2009 is occurring despite the improvements in the global economy in recent months. A notable feature of trends in 2009 is that, for the first time ever, emerging markets are set to attract more FDI inflows than the developed world.
Topic:: Development, Economics, Foreign Direct Investment, and Financial Crisis
Political Geography:: United States

Author:: Susan D. Franck
Publication Date:: 06-2009
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Abstract:: We know several things about foreign investment. First, foreign investment matters, reaching US$1.7 trillion in 2008. Second, we know that foreign investors have new international law rights to protect their economic interests. Third, we know that those rights are now being used.
Topic:: Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Foreign Direct Investment
Political Geography:: United States

Author:: Anne Van Aaken and Jürgen Kurtz
Publication Date:: 03-2009
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Abstract:: Several developed countries have introduced emergency measures to mitigate the effects of the Global Financial Crisis, including Australia, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Although the measures taken are still undergoing changes by the executive branch and are thus a “moving target”, our survey reveals early evidence of differentiation between foreign and domestic actors in the emergency plans adopted by this sample grouping. It is this differentiation that may give rise to liability as breaching guarantees against discrimination of foreign investors under international investment law.
Topic:: Economics, International Trade and Finance, Markets, International Affairs, Foreign Direct Investment, and Financial Crisis
Political Geography:: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Ireland

Author:: Mark E. Plotkin and David N. Fagan
Publication Date:: 01-2009
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Abstract:: On December 22, 2008, new regulations setting forth the U.S. government's national security review process for foreign mergers and acquisitions of U.S. businesses became effective. They are the ultimate step in a lengthy effort to revise and strengthen the reviews undertaken by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”).
Topic:: Economics, National Security, and Foreign Direct Investment
Political Geography:: United States

Refine your search