We revisit the empirical research about multinational firms (MNFs) and foreign trade in Brazil from the perspective of the theoretical models of international trade with MNFs, and their empirical tests. We observed that the cited studies did not examine how the economic characteristics of Brazil conditioned the emergence and types, as well as the corresponding impacts of the MNFs on foreign trade. The models analyzing trade impacts succeed to single out the MNF's technology service, as compared to same-sector domestic firms, but do not examine whether or not these firms concentrated in activities with comparative advantages, crucial to determine the comparative trade contribution from these firms.
Multinational firms Brazil; Comparative advantage; Technological innovation
