Do the determinants of foreign direct investment have a reverse and symmetric impact on foreign direct divestment?

Abstract Negative foreign direct investment (divestment) between countries has received little attention in international macroeconomics. This is the first country-level study to investigate whether conventional drivers of bilateral (FDI) have a reverse, but symmetric, impact on divestment (FDD). Using negative and positive FDI data 126 or territories, from 2005 2018, we find that gravity variables statistically significant effects FDI, such as host source country GDP, distance, source-country remoteness, similar-signed FDD, rather than opposite-signed effects. Formal testing coefficients determinants absolute value are equal opposite signed those for rejects this hypothesis. The view what may lead more impede FDD not supported by our empirical findings.