▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁showed ▁growth ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s ▁up ▁until ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁that ▁was ▁so ▁impress ive ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁eventually ▁become ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁of ▁South ▁America . ▁This ▁impress ive ▁and ▁sust ained ▁economic ▁performance ▁was ▁driven ▁by ▁the ▁export ▁of ▁agricult ural ▁goods . ▁A ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁study ▁describes ▁Argentina ▁as ▁a ▁" super - ex porter " ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁ 1 8 8 0 - 1 9 2 9 ▁and ▁cred its ▁the ▁bo om ▁to ▁low ▁trade ▁costs ▁and ▁trade ▁liberal isation ▁on ▁one ▁hand ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Argentina ▁" of fer ed ▁a ▁diverse ▁basket ▁of ▁products ▁to ▁the ▁different ▁European ▁and ▁American ▁countries ▁that ▁consum ed ▁them ". ▁The ▁study ▁con cludes ▁" that ▁Argentina ▁took ▁advantage ▁of ▁a ▁mult il ater al ▁and ▁open ▁economic ▁system ." ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁inten se ▁process ▁of ▁colon ization ▁of ▁the ▁territory ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁lat if und ia . ▁Until ▁ 1 8 7 5 ▁whe at ▁was ▁imported ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁grown ▁in ▁sufficient ▁quantities ▁to ▁supply ▁local ▁demand ; ▁by ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁the ▁country ▁supplied ▁all ▁its ▁own ▁needs ▁and ▁export ed ▁ ▁of ▁whe at , ▁enough ▁to ▁sust ain ▁ 1 6 , 0 0 0 ,