Coronavirus

Foreign direct investment in Brazil fell by half during pandemic

Fall of Brazilian currency, the Real, is 'no reason to panic'
Image: Rafastock/Shutterstock

In the first half of 2020, the flow of foreign direct investment in Brazil fell 48 percent compared to the same period in 2019. This was the highest dip observed among all emerging markets, according to data provided by the UN Conference on Development and Trade.

As news website UOL points out, the magnitude of the country’s Covid-19 epidemic was among the main factors that made Brazil fall from fourth to sixth on the list of countries with the most foreign direct investment. The pausing of privatization programs has also been highlighted as a leading cause.

Between January and June 2020, the country received BRL 18 million in foreign direct investment, lower than the average for the whole of Latin America.

For the first time, Asia received the majority of foreign direct investment. Levels in China, for instance, fell by just 4 percent.