An Appraisal of the Import Substitution Strategy from a Structural Economic Dynamic Approach

This paper seeks to establish that a Structural Economic Dynamic (SED) approach toward understanding technological gaps offers a superior method relative to the Import Substitution Strategy (ISS). It is argued that the ISS approach fails to account for the role of demand and hence, the structural dynamics of underdeveloped economies, when considering the role of technological progress. Argued as relatively superior to the ISS, the SED approach considers the evolution of preferences as a variable driving change, shedding new light on main channels of North-South interdependence.