The Argentine in the Twentieth CenturyMartínez, Alberto B.
History
The Argentine in the Twentieth Century
Martínez, Alberto B.
Argentina -- Commerce; Argentina -- Economic conditions; Finance -- Argentina
It is England which has hitherto preserved the closest balance between
her exports to and imports from the Argentine, and no other country
has so far been able to oust her from her dominant position in the
Argentine foreign trade. From this we see that the ties which unite the
two countries have nothing factitious about them; a fact which is still
further emphasised by the statistics of English capital employed in the
Argentine.
Germany holds the second place, with her £6,950,399 of imports from
the Argentine (in 1908: £7,284,611 in 1907). After England, she is the
greatest consumer of Argentine wool; the exports of this product in 1907
amounted in value to £2,846,213. Other articles absorbed by Germany are
hides (to the value of £1,045,417), and cereal products——wheat, maize,
linseed,and bran——(to the value of £1,013,426). The German imports from
the Argentine do not, however, include cattle or chilled meats.
_France_, up to 1876, occupied the first place on the scale of Argentine
exports. To-day her imports from the Argentine amount to £5,782,750
only (1908), or nearly £10,000,000 less than the English imports (in
1907 they amounted to £7,552,409). Her purchases in the Argentine are
confined to a very few products, of which the chiefest is wool, the value
of the export in 1907 being £4,908,510, or a little less than half the
entire Argentine production. Then come hides, to the value of £1,508,764;
then linseed, maize, and wheat to the value of £309,956, £322,473, and
£271,488 respectively, the whole imports from the Argentine in 1907 being
£7,552,419.
The French system of Protection has so far stood in the way of the
trade in Argentine cereals, and has absolutely prohibited the entry of
animals or chilled meat. The interests of the French agriculturalists and
cattle-breeders have hitherto come before the interest of the consumer,
which is to obtain the products necessary to life in the cheapest market.
But overtures are being made, by the common agreement of both countries,
which may eventually open the French market to Argentine meats, in return
for certain concessions granted to France, relative to the exportation of
her own products——her wine, silks, woven fabrics, etc.
The marked and progressive decadence of the Franco-Argentine trade ought
to rivet the attention of French capitalists and statesmen. Hitherto
numerous ties have connected France and the Argentine. The fundamental
code and the legislative system of the South American Republic have been
impregnated by the spirit of liberty, equality and fraternity proclaimed
by the French Revolution. The Argentine mind is fed upon French
thought, science, and literature. It is now, however, to be seen that
the intellectual influence of France is losing ground, as well as her
commercial influence, as to-day the sense of national fraternity is based
upon solidarity of interest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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