Interactive Relationship between FDI and Trade Trend in Iran (1993-2006)

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between FDI flows and trade to Iran. Theoretically, FDI and international trade can be substitute or complementary. Within the early theories of foreign direct investment and multinational firms, FDI and foreign trade were considered to be substitute. New international trade theories emphasize, the complementary relationship between FDI and foreign trade .This is the result of introducing new aspects in the models like increasing returns to scale, product differentiation and technology-differences among nations. We study empirically the impact of foreign trade on foreign direct investment (FDI), using data on inward FDI to Iran from 1973 through 2006. We find that foreign trade can encourage FDI and also FDI can increase trade. On the other hand, results show that there is a complementary relationship between trade and FDI. Beside trade, GDP, Exchange rate and some economic variables are affected by FDI.