“Trans-Latins”: An overview

“Trans-Latins”, emerging Latin American transnationals that have made direct investments outside their home countries, have become an increasingly important phenomenon, particularly since the mid-1990s. Indeed, outward foreign direct investment (FDI) by trans-Latins is accounting for an increasing share of total FDI in Latin America. This chapter provides an overview of the situation, covering the global, regional and local context of the trans-Latins’ international expansion, their motivations, their competitive advantages and some of the difficulties they have had to face. To take the measure of this phenomenon, a combination of different information sources has been used (since none can provide a satisfactory explanation on its own), including official balance-of-payments statistics, studies by academics and institutional investors, press items, company reports and, most importantly, interviews with high-level executives from the largest trans-Latins in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth