Foreign Control and Concentration in Brazilian Industry

Abstract

Data for the year 1980 reveal seller concentration to be high for domestic sales and exports, but large sellers in the domestic market often fail to rank among the largest exporters. Foreign-owned firms and joint ventures account for more than a quarter of sales in the domestic market and more than a third of the exports. High levels of concentration are associated with few firms and high foreign control. Foreign-owned firms tend to rank among the leaders of each industry, but this alone does not account for the positive correlation between foreign control and seller concentration.

Keywords: Brazil, foreign investment, multinational corporations, transnational corporations

JEL Classification: F23, L1, L6, N66