Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/146735 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2015
Citation: 
[Journal:] Estudios de Economía [ISSN:] 0718-5286 [Volume:] 42 [Issue:] 2 [Publisher:] Universidad de Chile, Departamento de Economía [Place:] Santiago de Chile [Year:] 2015 [Pages:] 93-119
Publisher: 
Universidad de Chile, Departamento de Economía, Santiago de Chile
Abstract: 
The previously successful British merchant houses on the west coast of South America faced significant problems between the two world wars. Earlier historians have referred to difficulties such as the volatility of commodity prices, the organisation and structure of the firms, and changes in patterns of trade. This paper, instead, compares their different experiences on the basis of archives from the merchants and their banks, concluding that their response to crisis differed, depending on the manner and extent of diversification, their core expertise, the quality of their management, and the support of their banks. The outcomes varied from outright failure to continued growth, with the two largest firms struggling to survive and adapt to the new business environment.
Subjects: 
Chile
Peru
merchants
nitrate
sugar
cotton
JEL: 
L81
N76
N84
N86
Document Type: 
Article

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