Brussels, 11/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - According to figures published by the European statistical office, Eurostat, on Wednesday 11 February, the EU was a net investor in 2013 - with foreign direct investment (FDI) stocks in the rest of world amounting to €4.9 trillion, while the rest of the world's FDI stocks on EU territory amounted to €3.778 trillion.
North America was the region where the EU held most FDI stocks (€1.911 trillion, or 39% of the total), ahead of non-EU Europe (€1.135 trillion, or 23%), Asia (€663.8 billion, or 14%), Central America (€426.7 billion, or 9%), South America (€380.3 billion, or 8%), Africa (€224 billion, or 5%) and Oceania (€134.3 billion, or 3%). North America held the biggest FDI stocks held by the rest of the world in the EU (€1.768 trillion, or 47% of the total), ahead of non-EU Europe (€770.2 billion, or 20%), Central America (€625.4 billion, or 17%) and Asia (€434.5 billion, or 12%).
The US was the main location for EU FDI stocks (€1.686 trillion, or 34% of the total), ahead of Switzerland (€667 billion, or 14%), Brazil (€272 billion, or 6%), Canada (€225 billion, or 5%), Russia (€154.8 billion, or 3%), China (€127.7 billion, or 3%), Australia (€122.1 billion, or 2%), Singapore (€93.2 billion, or 2%) and Japan (€78.9 billion, or 2%). The US was also by far the main investor in the EU (€1.651 trillion, or 44%), ahead of Switzerland (€430.8 billion, or 11%), Japan (€160.5 billion, or 4%) and Canada (€117 billion, or 3%).
At the end of 2013, special purpose entities - which are essentially financial companies under foreign control making mainly cross-border financial transactions and having a negligible local activity in the country of residence - accounted for 55% of the FDI stocks held by the EU abroad and for 70% of the FDI stocks held by the rest of the world in the EU. (Emmanuel Hagry)