La responsabilidad del directivo
Nota publicada en el Cronista, el 19/May/2006

Trade Barries: Why they exist, why they persist

.

Barriers to regulate trade among Nations have existed for many centuries. The mercantilist ideology was the first attempt to support theoretically the need of a surplus on the trade balance, favoring exports and controlling imports. The idea of having higher stocks of gold (the currency used for trade transactions) was associated with the false premise of being wealthier. Adam Smith started to dismantle this argument in The Wealth of Nations (1776), moving the discussion to the idea of increasing the stock of capital (houses, factories, machines) instead of gold to become wealthier. And David Ricardo completed this twist in the discussion with his work The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1817), emphasizing the role of trade in the distribution of wealth between Nations.

(Want more? Let me know.)