Foreign direct investment flows (FDIs) from one country to the next should continue to increase in 2001, despite the slowdown in growth in the United States, but at a much slower pace, says the American consultancy agency AT KEARNEY. Among the business leaders (CEOs and financial directors) of the 1000 largest companies in the world, questioned by AT KEARNEY, 85% (against 90% in 2000) are considering maintaining or increasing their foreign investments, despite the less prosperous economic prospects in the United States. The classification of the most attractive countries for foreign investors shows emerging countries taking off in 2000. Although the United States remains the favoured destination for foreign investors, China and Brazil have now beaten the United Kingdom to second place. Mexico, foremost American destination for their investments, comes in fifth position (against seventh in the previous classification), whereas India is in seventh place. - Tunisia: the Minister of International Cooperation and External Investment, Mr. Fethi Merdassi has announced that the volume of FDI in Tunisia reached 1,100 million dinars in 2000, up 125% on 19999 (448 million dinars). The manufacturing industry sector was most sought after, with the creation of 162 companies, 81 of which in the textiles-clothing sector, 18 in miscellaneous industries, 17 in electrical industries and 13 companies in agri-food. - Chile: Chile's FDI was down 61.8% in 2000 on 1999, totaling $3.7 bn against $9.7 billion the previous year, says the ministry for the economy. Foreign investors, mainly North American and European, had increased their investment in a sustained fashion from 1990, reaching a record figure of $9.714 bn in 1999. In the year 2000, the main investments came from the United States ($734 million), Spain ($710 million) and Canada ($664 million). A report drawn up by the ministry puts this fall down to the Asian crisis that paralysed several projects, affected Chile's trade and caused a recession of several months.