▁which ▁allowed ▁for ▁" free ▁and ▁protected " ▁trade ▁between ▁Spain ▁and ▁its ▁colon ies . ▁This ▁trade ▁system ▁dis integr ated ▁during ▁the ▁Napole onic ▁era , ▁and ▁cont rab and ▁became ▁common ▁again . ▁ ▁Post - in dep end ence ▁transition ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁post - in dep end ence ▁period , ▁an ▁important ▁share ▁of ▁Argentina ' s ▁exports ▁came ▁from ▁cattle ▁and ▁sheep ▁production . ▁The ▁liv est ock - ra ising ▁economy ▁was ▁based ▁upon ▁the ▁abund ance ▁of ▁fert ile ▁land ▁in ▁the ▁litt oral ▁provinces . ▁Cro pping ▁apparently ▁lack ed ▁compar ative ▁advantage ▁compared ▁to ▁liv est ock ▁gra zing . ▁ ▁Ex ports ▁rose ▁ 4 % ▁to ▁ 5 % ▁ann ually ▁from ▁ 1 8 1 0 ▁to ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁and ▁ 7 % ▁to ▁ 8 % ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 0 . ▁This ▁growth ▁was ▁achieved ▁through ▁the ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁front ier ▁and ▁greater ▁efficiency ▁in ▁liv est ock ▁production . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁divers ification ▁in ▁mark ets ▁and ▁products , ▁Argentina ▁managed ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁trap ▁of ▁a ▁single - st ap le ▁economy ▁and ▁sust ained ▁its ▁economic ▁growth ▁over ▁six ▁dec ades . ▁The ▁combined ▁effect ▁of ▁decl ining ▁prices ▁of ▁text iles ▁and ▁rising ▁prices ▁of ▁liv est ock ▁products ▁produced ▁dram atic ▁improvements ▁in ▁the ▁terms ▁of ▁trade , ▁which ▁rose ▁ 3 7 7 % ▁between ▁ 1