Provides information on any manufacturing sectors or services where only citizens or a sub-set of the population in that country are allowed to own or sell.
Last Published: 7/17/2019

The state-level "Law on Foreign Direct Investment" provides a generic framework for foreign investment.  The law accords foreign investors the same rights as domestic investors, including bidding on privatization tenders.  The primary exceptions are the defense industry and the media sector, where foreign control or ownership is limited to 49 percent.  However, either entity government may decide, if it deems justified, to waive the 49 percent foreign ownership limit for defense industry companies. 

As a result of FDI Law amendments adopted in March 2015, foreign investors can now own more than 49 percent of capital business entities dealing with media activities,  such as publishing newspapers, magazines and other journals, publishing of periodical publications, production and distribution of television programs, privately-owned broadcasting of radio and TV programs, and other forms of daily or periodic publications of edited produced program content through transfer of recordings, voice, sound or images.  The new FDI Law maintains the restriction that foreign investors cannot own more than 49 percent of public television and radio services.

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.