Initial estimates by UNCTAD show that cross-border flows of direct investment in 2005 totalled almost $ billion. This was around 30% more than in 2004. There are now about 70,000 enterprises worldwide that are organised transnationally. They have about 690,000 foreign subsidiaries. These global players account for around two-thirds of world trade, half of which is in the form of intra-group trade.
German enterprises, too, have increased their international activities. German firms account for 8½% of the global stock of foreign direct investment (FDI). For 2004, the Bundesbank’s FDI statistics show around 22,700 affiliates abroad with 4½ million employees. By the same token, foreign firms are, of course, investing in Germany.