Transnational corporations are giant financial and industrial associations with national or international capital, built on the principles of management and centralized planning around the world, participating in the international division of labor and taking advantage of internationalization to maximize profits.
The largest corporations are represented in the form of gigantic entities, surpassing many countries in wealth.
We can name the largest multinational corporations in the global economy such as General Electric, Coca-Cola, Hitachi, Nestle, Ford, Microsoft, British Petroleum, Siemens, Philips, IBM and others.
From conglomerates, these conglomerates are distinguished by the presence of an extensive network of subsidiaries and overseas production branches created by purchasing shares of other existing companies or direct investments.
The world's leading multinational corporations have over 400 thousand subsidiaries abroad, most of which are registered in the Republic of China, the United States, Germany, Singapore, France, Great Britain and Japan.
Today, almost all global companies, one way or another, are present on the Russian market. They are most interested in the fuel and energy sector, the aerospace industry, the defense industry, telecommunication systems and communications, the service sector and the food industry.
In the countries of the former USSR there are about two thousand subsidiaries, of which more than 1000 are in Russia alone. Japanese, German and American multinationals show the greatest interest in Russia.
World experience shows that the largest transnational corporations were created on the basis of financial industrial groups. In Russia, the formation of such structures is only just beginning, however, this process is gaining decent momentum.
The creation of Russian financial groups began with the goal of effectively circulating and reproducing commercial, industrial and financial capital, its concentration, accumulation and investment in the most important sectors of the economy. In addition, domestic associations should contribute to increasing the competitiveness of the most important sectors of the economy, developing exports and restoring lost economic ties.
However, before the formation of FIGs, transnational corporations in Russia already existed. An example is TNC Ingosstrakh, which has associated and subsidiary branches and firms in the United States, the Netherlands, Great Britain, France and other countries of the world. In addition, the concern “Nafta-Moscow” can be called.
Some Russian corporations emerged relatively recently. These include Lukoil with oil producing and refining enterprises, AvtoVAZ, Eye Microsurgery, which has a large number of departments around the world. The undisputed leader among Russian transnational corporations is Gazprom, which supplies raw materials abroad.
The creation of TNCs is usually done through the merger of industrial and banking capital. Therefore, the backbone of financial industrial groups are transnational banks. The largest player in the banking sector is Sberbank, operating in the market of many countries.
TNCs are the main structures exporting capital. Russia is no exception. Capital abroad is exported financially by the most powerful companies in the fuel and energy complex.
The largest investor in the economy of other countries is Gazprom, which controls about 35% of all the world's proven gas reserves, providing this raw material with a fifth of the needs of Western countries. Significant investments enable the structure to own exchanges, banks, joint ventures, to own property not only in Russia, but also in developed countries.