But the process of constant industrialization of Brazil would increase this percentage to 28% in 1889. As the decades passed, new technologies appeared, and with the increase of the internal productivity, exports increased considerably, making it possible to reach the desired equilibrium in the balance of trade. During the 1820s, sugar constituted about 30% of total exports, while cotton constituted 21%, coffee 18% and leather and skins 14%. Twenty years later, coffee would reach 42%, sugar 27%, leather and skins 9%, and cotton 8% of the total exports. However, this did not mean a reduction in the production of these any of these items—in fact, the opposite occurred—but “it reflected a difference in the relative growth of these sectors.” In this period of only twenty years, according to the historian Boris Fausto, “Brazilian exports had doubled in volume and had tripled in nominal value”, while its value in pounds sterling increased by over 40%. In the 1820s, Brazil exported 11,000 tons of cacao, while in 1880 this had increased to 73,500 tons. Between 1821 and 1825, it exported 41,174 tons of sugar and then it reached the incredible level of 238,074 tons between 1881 and 1885. Up to 1850 rubber production was insignificant, but between 1881 and 1890, it reached the third place among Brazilian exports. It was about 81 tons between 1827 and 1830, and reached 1,632 tons in 1852. By 1900 the country had exported 24,301,452 tons of rubber. Brazil also exported around 3,377,000 tons of coffee between 1821 and 1860, while between 1861 and 1889 this reached 6,804,000 tons. Technological innovation also contributed to the growth of exports. The main reason for this was the adoption of steam navigation and railroads, which allowed transportation of cargoes to become much less onerous and much faster. The first railroad line with only 15 kilometers was opened on April 30, 1854 when many European countries did not have one. In 1868 there were 718 kilometers in railroads lines and by the end of the Empire in 1889 it grew to 9,200 kilometers while another 9,000 kilometers were under construction. The absolute value of the exports of the Empire in 1850 was the highest in Latin America (triple that of Argentina, which was in fourth place); Brazil would keep this position in this respect and in general economic terms until the end of the monarchy. Brazil's international trade, that is, the