Multinational Corporations from Brazil
Following an overview of relevant theoretical considerations centering on Mathews’s view of the potential sources of emerging market multinational corporation (MNC) advantage, this chapter presents a brief survey of statistical trends surrounding Brazilian outward foreign direct investment (FDI) over the past 15 years or so. The chapter characterizes the sectoral orientation of Brazilian MNCs, pointing out the significant natural-resource base (NRB) focus of many of the largest enterprises. It also considers the broad policy-related factors that have helped propel the recent surge in outward investment. The chapter concludes by considering the challenges currently facing Brazilian MNCs. Not the least of these is the current wave of corruption scandals surrounding key MNCs in the energy and construction sectors. It is argued that these partly underlie a process of consolidation and divestment that is taking place in many of Brazil’s largest MNCs.