The Argentinean Exports during the Great Expansion, 1890-1913. A case of diversification?

RAYES, AGUSTINA

Stellenbosch

Congreso; XVI WECH; 2012

International Eeconomic History Association

Traditionally, the studies over the Argentinean great economic growth between the last years of the XIX century and the firsts decades of the following century have pointed out the dependence on foreign markets, specially United Kingdom. This idea was not only supported by 1930s nationalist literature, but also was present in the 60s - 70s dependency theory. Even nowadays it is strong among the analysts. However, a glance at trade statistical data reveals some degree of diversification in trading partners and products sold abroad, at least compared to other Latin American countries and other "economies of recent settlement" as Australia or Canada. Working with such sources is discussed among scholars because they have reliability problems, particularly in the reported values. In this sense, this paper attempts to recreate Argentina´s export trajectory with the correction of the official statistics, founded on a Serie, made by Roberto Cortes Conde, Tulio Halperin Donghi and Haydee Gorostegui. The statistical reconstruction provides some ideas to debate over the diversification and concentration. On the one hand, the customer diversification depended on traded goods. The spectrum was composed of the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, United States and neighboring countries. On the other, during this period the traditional exports, such as leather and wool, not only coexisted with modern exports,such as meat and grains, but also survived beyond the decline raised by the classical historiography before the end of the XIX century.