Unequal Exchange — A Stage in the Evolution of the World System

Abstract

Negative effects of international economic relations could not exist if the periphery simply refused to trade with the centre. Some conservative economists have in fact criticised the theories of Unequal Exchange, by remarking that if trade were really that much to the disadvantage of the periphery and an instrument of exploiting these countries they would simply not engage in it. Unequal Exchange undoubtedly presupposes a certain will — or need — to trade. This will did not always exist in the periphery. Furthermore it must be asked whether the centre has always been the region exporting relatively inelastic products — in other words, whether it has always been equally easy to sell Northern products in the South. Only if it were so would the world market have led to the present situation (cf. Raffer, 1983b, 1983c), but this would also have been an incredible coincidence.