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The rise of coffee in the Brazilian southeast: tariffs and foreign market potential, 1827-40

Author

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  • Christopher David Absell

    (Departamento de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

Abstract

During the period spanning independence in 1822 to mid-century, Brazil’s southeast shifted from specialising in the export of cane sugar to coffee. This paper explores the mechanism underlying this shift by exploiting a wealth of new monthly data on the Brazilian and international coffee and cane sugar markets during the period 1827-40. I argue that the timing of the coffee boom was driven by a rapid increase in foreign market potential associated with the abolition of the tariff on coffee in the United States. I estimate that American tariff reform served to increase coffee exports and African slave imports by around one-fifth. American firms, with indirect links to the slave trade, rapidly became major players in the export market in Rio de Janeiro, while non-American firms, traditionally specialised in Continental European destinations, turned their sights on the American market.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher David Absell, 2020. "The rise of coffee in the Brazilian southeast: tariffs and foreign market potential, 1827-40," Working Papers 0175, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    • Handle: RePEc:hes:wpaper:0175
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    File URL: https://www.ehes.org/wp/EHES_175.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Christopher David Absell, 2023. "British slave emancipation and the demand for Brazilian sugar," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 17(1), pages 125-154, January.
    2. Christopher David Absell, 2023. "British slave emancipation and the demand for Brazilian sugar," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 17(1), pages 125-154, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Coffee; Brazil; slavery; tariffs; market potential;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N56 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - Latin America; Caribbean
    • N76 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Latin America; Caribbean

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