Conventional wisdom in economic history suggests that conflict between countries can be enormously disruptive of economic activity, especially international trade. Yet nothing is known empirically about these effects in large samples. We study the effects of war on bilateral trade for almost all countries with available data extending back to 1870. Using the gravity model, we estimate the contemporaneous and lagged effects of wars on the trade of belligerent nations and neutrals, controlling for other determinants of trade. We find large and persistent impacts of wars on trade, and hence on national and global economic welfare. A rough accounting indicates that such costs might be of the same order of magnitude as the "direct" costs of war, such as lost human capital, as illustrated by case studies of World War I and World War II.
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Paper provided by C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers in its series CEPR Discussion Papers with number
5209.
Find related papers by JEL classification: D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order; Noneconomic International Organizations;; Economic Integration and Globalization: General F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Country and Industry Studies of Trade H56 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - National Security and War N40 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, and Regulation - - - General, International, or Comparative N70 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - General, International, or Comparative
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Kris James Mitchener & Marc Weidenmier, 2008.
"Trade and Empire,"
NBER Working Papers
13765, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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