Ajuste en los patrones de comercio manufacturero. Uruguay 1988-1994

During 1988 to 1994, sectors producing tradeable goods in Uruguay were faced to many changes in the regional markets as well as in both the trade and exchange polices. The aim of this paper is to analyse the extent up to which the above factors affected the pattern of manufacturing trade. In doing do, many indicators of marginal intra-industy trade were built, which in turn were used to classify the industries in three groups according to the character of the adjustmente of their marginal flows of trade: interindusty exports, interindusty imports and intra-industry adjustment. Further, the analysis shows that there was a deep adjustment in the trade patterns. The macroeconomic conditions favored imports and promoted sectoral adjustement labelled as inter-industy imports. However, some industries experienced inter-industial exporter or intra-industry adjustment. In addition, we conclude that the intra or inter-industry character of the adjustment is strongly associated to the degree of aggregation selected. Thus, when using the four digit industries classification (ISIC), intra-industry trade grew along the period while if the NCCA four digits trade classification is used instead there is no clear tend. Finally, when considering the trade flows between Argentina and Uruguay, it is immediately seen that there was an increase in the intra-industy pattern of trade as well.