Trade Treaties and their Impact on Argentine Exports and Imports during the First Globalization

RAYES, AGUSTINA

París

Congreso; XIX World Economic History Congress; 2022

Since Independence, the region that later became Argentina was interested in promoting economic foreign relations. For different reasons, associated with the dynamics of the international context and especially with the colonial heritage and the process of reconfiguration of sovereignties, with the exception of the treaty with the United Kingdom (1825), the United Provinces of the River Plate did not sign other trade agreements until the mid-nineteenth century. Since then, coinciding with the nation-state building, negotiations proliferated. All of them had a clear goal: to improve commercial connections not only with European countries but also with American ones.The literature has recognized trade treaties as part of the characteristics of the Argentine economic integration to the world system during the so-called First Globalization (c. 1850-1914). Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, it did not measure their impact on foreign trade. Thus, in this research, apart from examining their general and particular aspects, we ask if there existed a direct link between the signing of agreements and the performance of foreign trade. By doing so, we shed light on their outcomes, in terms of the diversification of international relations, the application of tariffs, the respect of the Most-Favourite-Nation clause, or the diplomatic negotiations.In this regard, this study is not only a reflection on Argentine trade policy but it is also a partial contribution to the discussion on the effects of trade agreements during the First Globalization through a case study, which integrates treaty data and trade data.The paper is divided into four parts. It begins by analysing the trends of Argentina’s foreign trade during the First Globalization. It then goes on to present Argentina´s tariff policy. The next section offers an overview of trade agreements, highlighting ruptures and continuities throughout the period. Finally, some exercises are proposed to reflect on the impact of agreements on foreign trade and to compare their real and symbolic influence.