China’s economic footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean
Kiryakova, E., Jackson, K. and Nadin, R. 2026. China’s economic footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean. ODI. https://doi.org/10.61755/XUMD5597
| Title | China’s economic footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kiryakova, E., Jackson, K. and Nadin, R. |
| Type | Project report |
| Abstract | China is the second largest trade partner and top sovereign creditor in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and in 2023 was the third-largest source of new foreign direct investment (FDI) project announcements. Over half of the region’s countries have joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since 2018, seeking to benefit from expanded infrastructure investment and broader economic cooperation. But China’s expanding economic and financial footprint in LAC is unfolding against a backdrop of increasing global economic fragmentation, supply chain reconfiguration and geopolitical realignment. The geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and China, alongside retaliatory trade policies, could reshape the trade and investment landscape in the LAC region. Tighter US scrutiny of Chinese exports may divert Chinese trade towards LAC economies, where regulatory environments are more permissive. This report tracks Chinese trade, lending and project-level investment across 33 LAC economies from 2013 to 2024. It finds that China has been steadily building economic and financial links across the region for more than a decade, predating the region’s formal integration into the BRI. Understanding the scale, composition and trajectory of these links is essential for policymakers navigating a rapidly changing international economic environment. |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publisher | ODI |
| Publication dates | |
| Published | Jan 2026 |
| ISSN | 2052-7209 |
| Project | EU Delegation to China |
| Funder | European Union |
| File | License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 File Access Level Open (open metadata and files) |
| Web address (URL) | https://odi.org/en/publications/chinas-economic-footprint-in-lac/ |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.61755/XUMD5597 |