Testing the Pollution Haven Effect: Does the Type of FDI Matter?

Abstract

Many studies have tested the pollution haven effect (PHE) which predicts that the tightening of local environmental regulations would shift foreign direct investment (FDI) to less regulated jurisdictions. However, most of them ignored the heterogeneity of FDI. This paper studies the PHE on local-market-oriented and export-oriented FDI and tests whether the two types have different responsiveness to environmental regulations in a host country. A simple model is developed to describe how different types of multinational companies respond in distinct ways to stricter environmental policies in host countries. Using US outward FDI data for 50 host countries and a survey measure of both the stringency and the enforcement of local environmental regulations, I find a significant deterrent effect of local environmental regulations on inward FDI. Furthermore, FDI in a host country is not only affected by local environmental regulations but also by environmental regulations in proximate countries. More importantly, accounting for the relative stringency of environmental regulations between a host country and the United States is critical for identifying a PHE. I find a significantly stronger effect of environmental policies on both types of FDI in host countries with environmental regulations that are stricter than those in the United States. In these countries, export-oriented FDI also exhibits a greater sensitivity to local environmental regulations than local market-oriented FDI.