Definition: Foreign direct investor

Category: Foreign direct investment

A foreign direct investor is an entity (an institutional unit) resident in one economy that has acquired, either directly or indirectly, at least 10% of the voting power of a corporation (enterprise), or equivalent for an unincorporated enterprise, resident in another economy. A direct investor could be classified to any sector of the economy and could be any of the following:

i) an individual;
ii) a group of related individuals;
iii) an incorporated or unincorporated enterprise;
iv) a public or private enterprise;
v) a group of related enterprises;
vi) a government body;
vii) an estate, trust or other societal organisation; or
viii) any combination of the above.

In the case where two enterprises each own 10% or more of each other’s voting power, each is a direct investor in the other. 

A direct investor has a direct investment enterprise operating in a country other than the economy of residence of the foreign direct investor. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/Foreign_direct_invest_EN.pdf