New Developmentalism or a Return to an Agro-export Model in Latin America's Southern Cone: The Cases of Brazil and Argentina

JUAN EDUARDO SANTARCANGELO; PAUL COONEY

San Diego

Congreso; ALLIED SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATIONS; 2013

ALLIED SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATIONS

Since the beginning of the XXI century, Argentina and Brazil, the two most important countries of the southern cone, have experienced improved economic growth under the governments of Kirchner-Fernandez de Kirchner and Lula-Rouseff respectively. In the case of Argentina, annual growth rates of roughly 9% were experienced in recent years and with a dynamic industrial sector. In the case of Brazil, growth rates were a bit lower, yet several achievements were consolidated during Lula's government and some have argued that this has constituted a new developmentalism. In this context, the aim of this paper is to study the economic performance of Argentina and Brazil in recent years, and to examine the role performed by the industrial sector. Finally, the paper concludes with an evaluation of whether the recent policiy changes for Brazil and Argentina could be considered a new developmentalism or whether the orientation of economic policies toward providing greater support for their primary sectors, such as agro-industry and mining, is effectively limiting the capacity of their industrial sectors to compete globally.