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International mergers and acquisitions are forecast to decline by 56% in 2009 compared with 2008, the largest year-on-year decline since 1995, says the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, citing analysis of data for international M&A activity up to November 26, 2009.

According to the OECD, the fall is largely due to the 60% decline in value of cross-border merger and acquisitions (M&A) by firms based in the OECD area, from over US$1 trillion in 2008 to US$454 billion in 2009.

However, it was also due to the first sharp declines in M&A activity into and from major emerging economies: international M&A activity by firms based in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, and South Africa fell by 62% to US$46 billion in 2009 from US$121 billion in 2008.

M&A activity into these countries is forecast to decline by almost 40% this year to just over US$80 billion from just under US$140 billlion in 2008.

Speaking at the opening of the OECD Global Forum on Investment in Paris, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría says that governments needed to do more to promote business  investment. “Against the backdrop of a fragile global economy and sharp declines in international investment activity that have now spread to the emerging economies, the international

nvestment policy community cannot afford to relax,” Gurría says. “Investment protectionism poses a grave risk to recovery by further reducing international investment flows just at a time when these are most needed. Global challenges also require investment on a scale that far exceeds available public resources. Business investment is an essential part of the solution,” he adds.

These latest international investment estimates suggest that total foreign direct investment into the 30 OECD countries will fall to US$600 billion in 2009 from a 2008 total of US$1.02 trillion.

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