In 2010 the Latin American and Caribbean region showed great resilience to the international financial crisis and became the world region with the fastest-growing flows of both inward and outward foreign direct investment (FDI). FDI inflows were up by 40% with respect to 2009 and stood at a total of USUS$ 113 billion. Outflows increased almost fourfold to reach an all-time high of USUS$ 43 billion, reflecting the strong growth of trans-Latin firms. The upswing in FDI in the region has occurred in a context in which developing countries in general have taken on a greater share in both inward and outward FDI flows. This briefing paper is divided into five sections.
