Comercio exterior y desigualdad social: Un comparativo can - mercosur

Abstract

The 1990´s decade was crucial for eco­nomic aperture impulse in latin-ameri­can countries: during the beginning of the first decade of this century, some specific social objectives were settled. Regarding this context, this paper seeks to answer the following ques­tion: is foreign trade change reflected in lower social inequality gaps? The results found here correspond to the first researching stage relating poverty levels with the economic productivities of countries, without emphasizing the economic and / or social policy (sub­ject of the next stage). An overview of foreign trade, economic growth and social inequality in South America during 1999 and 2006 is proposed. An analysis of basic indicators does not seem to reflect the increases in foreign trade for 2006 compared with 1999, showing no improvements in terms of social equity and poverty reduction.