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Multinational companies

Say what a multinational brings to a host country, what it can cost, and what the balance depends on

Key terms
Multinational company
A multinational company is a firm that owns or controls production or other business activity in more than one country.
Foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment is money a firm spends to buy or set up a business in another country that it will help to run.

Poorer countries seek multinationals for long-term investment

Many low-income countries welcome direct investment by multinational firms, because it ties them more closely into the global networks that produce and distribute goods and services. A firm that buys or builds a factory abroad usually takes a hand in running it, so the investment has a long-run focus.

It is also slow to reverse. Selling a factory takes weeks or even months, while money lent to a government by buying its bonds can leave with a few keyboard clicks.