Champions of Free Trade. The Peruvian Proposal for a Conference on Commercial Policy at Bretton Woods

Abstract

In historical accounts of Bretton Woods, international trade is often portrayed as a marginal topic at the conference. In contrast, this chapter examines how the Peruvian delegation brought trade to the forefront by proposing a Conference on Commercial Policy. Conceived as a third pillar of the postwar monetary regime, the proposal reflected the liberal stance of Peru’s foreign economic policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Banco Central de Reserva del Perú. It also aligned with the country’s role as a raw material producer and its opposition to policies such as exchange controls and tariffs. Largely overlooked in the history of Bretton Woods, the Conference on Commercial Policy positioned Peru as a case of economic liberalism, standing in sharp contrast to the Mexican position on industrialization and inward-looking development.

Publication
In International Economic and Monetary Architecture at the Crossroads. Bretton Woods at 80