Global flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) are forecast to increase only marginally in 2018 and remain well below the average over the past 10 years, according to UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2018, to be launched on 6 June.
An escalation and broadening of trade tensions could negatively affect investment in global value chains, while tax reforms in the United States are likely to significantly affect global investment patterns.
The forecast comes as comprehensive data about global FDI in 2017 are published in the new report, which also looks at the accelerated adoption of new industrial policies in response to economic shifts and affecting investment patterns in more than 100 countries.