Global Markets of Spanish America: The Commerce of Vicuña Wool and ‘Grana’ Cochineal in the XVIII Century

Abstract

This article analyzes the commercialization of Peruvian vicuña wool and grana cochineal, originating mainly in the Andean highlands and New Spain, and their impact on the commercialization of colonial products pertaining to the textile industry during the xviii century in the economies of the Mediterranean Europe, especially in the cases of France and Spain. The progressive integration of global markets of Spanish America, such as those pertaining to the textile industry, with occidental Europe was a key factor in the consolidation of networks and commerce routes, as well as the flow of goods from one side of the Atlantic to the other.