Investment Map
FDI statistics alongside trade and tariff data: where investment flows in your sector, and from whom.
Overview
Investment Map sits at the intersection of trade and capital. For a firm weighing whether to keep exporting to a market or to produce inside it, or scouting for a local partner, it puts foreign direct investment data next to trade and market access data on the same map.
It combines UNCTAD-sourced FDI stocks and flows with ITC trade data, so you can see which sectors are attracting capital in which countries, and from which source economies. That pairing is unusual in a free tool and makes it a natural companion to Export Potential Map when the question shifts from where to sell to how to be present.
As with any investment data, read it as a directional signal rather than a precise ledger. FDI figures are patchier and slower than trade statistics, but the story they tell about where a sector is drawing capital is genuinely useful context.
New to the terminology? Every technical term is explained in our trade glossary, including HS code and rules of origin.
What data you'll find
FDI stocks and flows
Inward and outward foreign direct investment by country and sector, so you can see where capital is accumulating.
Source economies
Which countries the investment comes from, useful for spotting who your future competitors or partners might be.
Trade alongside investment
ITC trade figures on the same view, so you can tell whether a sector's growth is fed by imports or by local production.
How to see whether a market's sector growth is trade-fed or investment-fed
Goal: See whether your sector's growth in a market is trade-fed or investment-fed.
- 01
Choose the market and sector
Select your target country and the sector closest to your product to frame the comparison.
- 02
Read the FDI trend
Look at inward FDI stocks and flows for that sector to see whether capital is moving in and at what pace.
- 03
Overlay the trade data
Compare the investment picture with trade flows. Rising imports with little FDI suggests an export opportunity; heavy FDI suggests local production is how firms win there.
- 04
Identify the source economies
Note which countries are investing. They are your likely competitors on the ground, or your potential partners.
Strengths
- Rare free granularity on foreign direct investment by sector.
- Trade and investment shown side by side, which few free tools do.
- Helpful for deciding between exporting and establishing local production.
Limitations
- FDI data lags and is patchier than trade data, so treat it as directional.
- Sector classifications are broader than HS6, so the match to your exact product is approximate.
Frequently asked questions
Follow the goods first.
For most small and medium exporters, the export decision comes before the invest decision. Getting the market right is the higher-leverage first move.
Market Selection ranks where your goods should go. Investment Map then helps you judge whether a local presence is how you win in the market you have chosen.
Related guides
Export Potential Map
ITC's model of untapped export potential: how much more of your product each market could realistically absorb.
ITC Trade Map
The world's reference database for trade statistics: values, volumes, growth and market shares for 220+ countries and every HS product code.
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