Intraregional Trade in South America, 1912–1950: The Cases of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Peru

2014

SSRN Journal

The long run development of Chile and the Natural Resources curse. Linkages, policy and growth, 1850-1950. Abstract: This chapter analyses the effects of Natural Resources on the Chilean economy in the long run (1850 -1950). Specifically, the authors focus their attention on the mining cycles (nitrates and copper) and their impact on the mining activity. We also compare it with the evolution of the industry and whole economy, and how this has affected the economic growth of the country. In that sense, the industrial performance in Chile at the end of the 19th century until the Great Depression is still under debate. The optimistic view of Kirsch (1977) forehead the pessimistic view of Lagos (1966) and Palma (1979). The new data and its analyses shows a neutral effect of the Natural Resources in the industrial development.

Section: Industrial Performance During the Mining Boommentioning

confidence: 99%

The Long Run Development of Chile and the Natural Resources Curse. Linkages, Policy and Growth, 1850-1950

Ducoing

2014

SSRN Journal

“…while other countries played a secondary role, specifically Chile's existing trade with its South American neighbours (Carreras-Marín et al, 2013).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Chilean Trade 1880-1930: A Comment on the Sources for the Age of Exports

Díaz-Bahamonde

2018

RHE / JILAEH

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This research note discusses the accuracy of the main sources used to study the foreign sector during the export-led growth process in Chile. Chilean foreign trade statistics are available for the period under analysis (1850-1930) and offered a good overview of products exported and imported. Bilateral trade data are also available providing information of exports and imports by origin and destiny. Although more research is needed on trade prices, we conclude that Chilean statistics are reliable and provide a way for understanding the export-led growth in Chile and the trade performance of the Chilean partners.

“…Outside South America we have the US, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and Japan, which were their main trade partners. Our dataset relies on Carreras‐Marín, Badia‐Miró, and Peres Cajías, ‘Intraregional trade’, expanded with new trade figures for South American trade with Japan, Spain, Belgium, and Italy. We have considered official South American sources which include trade data during the wars.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Geography, policy, or productivity? Regional trade in five South American countries, 1910–50

The Economic History Review

Carreras-Marín

Meissner

2017

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Regional trade in South America since independence has long been much smaller than would be expected if geography were the only constraint on trade. Several potential explanations exist, including low technological and demand complementarities; low productivity; and high natural and policy barriers to trade. Focusing on the latter explanations, policy makers have long advocated a South American/Southern Cone Free Trade Area-proposed as early as 1889. Would reductions in trade costs have been sufficient to raise trade significantly, or was trade low for other reasons? We study bilateral trade between 1910 and 1950, when large external shocks altered global supply and demand. These shocks help us show that intra-regional trade could have been boosted by reductions in trade costs. Trade among Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Peru could have benefited from more benign trade policies or better infrastructure. Regional trade in textiles, which took off from the 1930s, supports our argument that trade improved when trade costs fell. R egional trade in South America since independence has long been much smaller than would be expected if the simple measures of geographic propinquity that proxy for transport and information costs, and which are so often favoured in the empirical literature, were the only constraint on trade.1 Several potential explanations exist. First, factor endowments were potentially sufficiently similar and goods so homogeneous that foreign competition could easily be driven out of domestic markets. A Ricardian view suggests an international division of labour driven by comparative advantage. Western Europe and the US specialized in manufactures while South America specialized in commodities, driving down