preview

Import Substitution Essay

Better Essays

Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI) Definition Government strategy that emphasizes replacement of some agricultural or industrial imports to encourage local production for local consumption, rather than producing for export markets. Import substitutes are meant to generate employment, reduce foreign exchange demand, stimulate innovation, and make the country self-reliant in critical areas such as food, defense, and advanced technology. What Does Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI) Mean? An economic theory employed by developing or emerging market nations that wish to increase their self-sufficiency and decrease their dependency on developed countries. Implementation of the theory focuses on protection and incubation of …show more content…

* Protection of national markets against foreign competition by imposing import taxes and state control of foreign currency dealings. * Price controls and subsidised food to keep the wages cheap. 1. The outcome of import substituting industrialisation (ISI) The goals of higher efficiency, productivity and more competitiveness – a development apart from the pressure of the world market - have not been reached. The process of organisational, technical, and social development of the industries was slow and highly protected. During the 1950s the countries decided to open the market to foreign direct-investments restrictively, which, after a short period of time, ruled the more dynamical and technical sectors. The state controlled the raw materials sector, the national private sector got less and less opportunities to develop. * The policy was focused one dimensionally on the industrial sector. The agri-cultural and the services sectors were neglected. * The import substitution was aimed at replacing imports from abroad, but nevertheless in most Latin American countries the import of manufactured goods in fact increased. The terms of trade got worse, caused by low prices for exported raw materials and expensive imports. The industrialisation could not keep up with the technical and innovative development of the free world markets. As a result, new technologies and machinery had to be

Get Access