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Swanky_Molerat t1_izebotw wrote

>Now I wonder if this low priority on trade has not had adverse consequences for the modern Philippines after independence from Spain

The Dutch profited immensely from intra-Indonesian trade conducted by native Indonesians. Perhaps the Spanish were less opportunistic and more restrictive and controlling.

But it is always difficult if not impossible to draw proper causal inferences from such observations.

In any case, internal trade is likely to have had a more lasting impact than the regular but sporadic galleon trade.

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