it seems that, for many products, distance was decreasing until year 2000 and then increasing again for some, (although not reaching the high levels observed in the early nineties) and remaining flat for others for the rest of the period. In general, a decreasing trend means that relatively higher productivity goods are getting slightly closer to the Argentine export basket.

# **Figure 17 Top Argentine Exports: High ProductivityProducts, Distance (log inverse density)**

<!-- Start of picture text --> Top 25 Next in the Top 50<br>2.4 Wheat and meslin<br>Motor cars and other motor vehicles 2.3 Chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphat<br>Parts and accessories of the motor Fish, frozen, (excl. those of 03.04<br>2.22.0 Motor vehicles for the transport ofTubes,pipes and hollow profiles,seaMedicaments of mixed or unmixed proFish fillets and other fish meat, fUnwrought aluminium 2.1 Cyclic hydrocarbonsPolyethers and epoxide resins; polyMalt extract; food preparations ofAccessory parts suitable for engineShaving preparations, personal deod<br>1.9<br>1.8<br>1.7<br>1.6<br>1.4 1.5<br>1.2 1.3<br>1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004<br>Next in the Top 75 Next in the Top 100<br>Cheese and curd Wool, not carded or combed Other vegetables preserved other th<br>Other plates..., of plastics, not r Pumps for liquids,with or without m Automatic regulating,controlling in<br>2.4 Fibreboard of wood or other ligneouChocolate and other food preparatio 2.4 Tractors(other than tractors of heaEdible offal of bovine animals..., Food preparations not elsewhere speHormones; derivatives thereof used<br>Compression-ignition,combustion pis Paper, paperboard, etc, coated..., Halogenated derivatives of hydrocar<br>Polymers of propylene or of other o 2.2<br>Uncoated paper..., for writing... i<br>2.2 Uncoated paper..., for writing... i<br>Tapes,valves,for pipes pressure red 2.0<br>2.0 1.8<br>1.6<br>1.8<br>1.4<br>1.6<br>1.2<br>1.4 1.0<br>1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004<br>Next in the Top 125<br>Nonwovens Photographic film in rolls, instant<br>Prepared glues and adhesives, nes; Animal or vegetable fats and oils..<br>Synthetic rubber derived from oils, Polyamides in primary forms<br>All types of electrical ingnition,g Barley<br>Air or vacuum pumps,exhausting and Printed books, brochures, leaflets<br>2.5 Machines,mechanical appliances havi Carboxylic acids with oxygen functi<br>Refrigerators,freezers electric or Mixtures of odoriferous substances<br>2.2<br>1.9<br>1.6<br>1.3<br>1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004<br><!-- End of picture text --> When comparing the distance of high-productivity and low-productivity Argentine exports it is clear that those with low productivity are closer to the world export basket. Specifically, low productivity goods have a distance that is 19 and 15 percent smaller than the high productivity goods for both the top 50 exports and the “new” exports, as shown in Figure 18. On the other hand, when comparing the two rankings, one finds that the top 50 products are, as expected, closer to the Argentine exports basket than the “new” products, although not by much. The ratios are 0.89 and 0.94 for the low and high productivity goods respectively.

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