Financialization of firms strategies in argentine primary production during the kirchnerist governments (2003-2015)

Abstract This paper analyzes the accumulation strategies of primary producers in Argentina from 2003 to 2015. We compare the economic surplus of these sectors and how it is used to increase productive capacities, financial investment and capital flight, as well as changes in the composition of assets. We use aggregate data on the whole formal economy provided by the Argentine tax agency. Accounting data from the primary sectors’ largest companies is also presented. We conclude that because firms have financialized accumulation strategies, productive investment is subordinated to strategies that prioritize liquidity and capital flight, causing a process of “investment reticence”. Therefore, we discuss the role of these primary sectors in promoting national economic development, as is suggested by different economic perspectives.