Basically, foreign direct investments (FDI) determinants may be referred to firms and country characteristics - push factors - or to locational factors - pull factors. Most of theoretical literature relative to multinational enterprises in the last forty years, has emphasized firms advantages, giving no weight to macroeconomic factors. The purpose of this paper is to estimate, based on panel data of 33 countries for the period 1975-2000, the main determinants of FDI inflows in developing economies. Factors as size and pace of growth of economic activity, the level of labor qualification, friendly policies towards foreign capital, country risk and stock market performance are the main determinants of FDI. In addition, a causality test, in the special context of panel data, has shown that FDI does not cause economic growth. On the contrary, it has been verified that economic growth causes FDI.
foreign direct investment; multinational enterprises; panel data
