ABSTRACT
Several factors lend importance to the question of the impact of Colombia’s new exports on her income distribution. It was David Ricardo, discoverer of the principal of comparative advantage, who postulated that income distribution is the principal concern of political economy. In the Latin American context, many observers have tended to link the characteristics of the old traditional exports with a regressive income distribution, so it is natural to consider the impact which a change in the export structure may have on that distribution. Finally, enthusiasm over the new export boom in some Asian countries, such as South Korea and Taiwan, has induced some authors to suggest that those exports are accompanied by (and have caused) not only greater efficiency and growth, but also an improvement in the distribution of income. It is interesting to speculate on whether a similar result should be expected under Latin conditions.
