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Technology and Geography in the Second Industrial Revolution: New Evidence from the Margins of Trade

Author

Listed:
  • Huberman, Michael
  • Meissner, Christopher M.
  • Oosterlinck, Kim

Abstract

Belle Époque Belgium recorded an unprecedented trade boom. Exploiting a new granular trade dataset, we find that the number of products delivered abroad and destinations serviced more than doubled in less than 40 years. To explain this remarkable achievement, we study the relationship between trade costs and the intensive and extensive margins of trade. The establishment of a foreign diplomatic network that lowered beachhead costs and enabled the entry of new products was an essential fact of the trade boom. Interestingly, the expansion in trade in certain sectors did not translate into faster productivity growth. We offer some explanations.

Suggested Citation

  • Huberman, Michael & Meissner, Christopher M. & Oosterlinck, Kim, 2017. "Technology and Geography in the Second Industrial Revolution: New Evidence from the Margins of Trade," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 77(1), pages 39-89, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:77:y:2017:i:01:p:39-89_00
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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Le lien entre échanges et croissance lors de la première mondialisation
      by Martin Anota in D'un champ l'autre on 2015-02-10 00:26:36

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexander Klein & Christopher M. Meissner, 2024. "Did Tariffs Make American Manufacturing Great? New Evidence from the Gilded Age," NBER Working Papers 33100, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Jacopo Timini, 2018. "Currency unions and heterogeneous trade effects: the case of the Latin Monetary Union [Bilateral treaties and the most-favored-nation clause: the myth of trade liberalization in the nineteenth cent," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 22(3), pages 322-348.
    3. Stéphane Bécuwe & Bertrand Blancheton & Christopher Meissner, 2015. "France’s international insertion strategy in globalization in the long run perspective 1836-1938," Post-Print hal-02149499, HAL.
    4. Alejandro Ayuso‐Díaz & Antonio Tena‐Junguito, 2020. "Trade in the shadow of power: Japanese industrial exports in the interwar years," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 73(3), pages 815-843, August.
    5. Meissner, Christopher M. & Tang, John P., 2018. "Upstart Industrialization and Exports: Evidence from Japan, 1880–1910," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 78(4), pages 1068-1102, December.
    6. repec:ehl:wpaper:88298 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Jacopo Timini, 2018. "The drivers of Italian exports and product market entry: 1862-1913 (Updated August 2020)," Working Papers 1836, Banco de España, revised Aug 2020.
    8. Brian D. Varian, 2023. "British exports and foreign tariffs: Insights from the Board of Trade's foreign tariff compilation for 1902," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 76(3), pages 827-843, August.
    9. Varian, Brian, 2018. "The economics of Edwardian imperial preference: what can New Zealand reveal?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 88298, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Brian D. Varian, 2022. "Imperial preference before the Ottawa Agreements: Evidence from New Zealand's Preferential and Reciprocal Trade Act of 1903," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 75(4), pages 1214-1241, November.
    11. Léo CHARLES, 2015. "Evolution of trade patterns and economic performance:the case of France and Switzerland during the nineteenth century," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2015-28, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    12. Stephane Becuwe & Bertrand Blancheton & Leo Charles & Matthieu Clement, 2015. "Asymmetric influence of distance on french international trade 1850-1913," EcoMod2015 8552, EcoMod.
    13. Stéphane Becuwe & Bertrand Blancheton & Christopher M Meissner, 2018. "Stages of diversification: France, 1836–1938," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 22(4), pages 430-461.
    14. Alexander, Patrick D. & Keay, Ian, 2019. "Responding to the First Era of Globalization: Canadian Trade Policy, 1870–1913," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 79(3), pages 826-861, September.
    15. Alexander, Patrick D. & Keay, Ian, 2018. "A general equilibrium analysis of Canada’s national policy," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 1-15.
    16. Lars Karlsson & Peter Hedberg, 2021. "War and trade in the peaceful century: the impact of interstate wars on bilateral trade flows during the first wave of globalization, 1830–1913," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 74(3), pages 809-830, August.
    17. Wolf-Fabiann Hungerland & Nikolaus Wolf, 2022. "The panopticon of Germany’s foreign trade, 1880–1913: New facts on the first globalization [Economics and the modern economic historian]," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 26(4), pages 479-507.
    18. Barry Eichengreen & Arnaud Mehl & Livia Chițu, 2021. "Mars or Mercury redux: The geopolitics of bilateral trade agreements," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 21-44, January.
    19. Jaworski, Taylor & Keay, Ian, 2022. "Globalization and the spread of industrialization in Canada, 1871–1891," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    20. Marc Deloof & Ine Paeleman, 2024. "International entrepreneurship without investor protection: Evidence from initial public offerings in Belgium before the First World War," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 77(2), pages 523-553, May.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • N73 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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