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The Antebellum U.S. Iron Industry: Domestic Production and Foreign Competition

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  • Joseph H. Davis
  • Douglas A. Irwin

Abstract

This paper presents new annual estimates of U.S. production of pig iron and imports of pig iron products dating back to 1827. These estimates are used to assess the vulnerability of the antebellum iron industry to foreign competition and the role of the tariff in fostering the industry's early development. Domestic pig iron production is found to be highly sensitive to changes in import prices. Although import price fluctuations had a much greater impact on U.S. production than changes in import duties, our estimates suggest that the tariff permitted domestic output to be about thirty to forty percent larger than it would have been without protection.

Suggested Citation

  • Joseph H. Davis & Douglas A. Irwin, 2007. "The Antebellum U.S. Iron Industry: Domestic Production and Foreign Competition," NBER Working Papers 13451, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:13451
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John Joseph Wallis, 2001. "What Caused the Crisis of 1839?," NBER Historical Working Papers 0133, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Irwin, Douglas A. & Temin, Peter, 2001. "The Antebellum Tariff On Cotton Textiles Revisited," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 61(3), pages 777-798, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. KIYOTA Kozo & OKAZAKI Tetsuji, 2013. "Effects of Industrial Policy on Productivity: The case of import quota removal during postwar Japan," Discussion papers 13093, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    2. Kris Inwood & Ian Keay, 2013. "Trade policy and industrial development: iron and steel in a small open economy, 18701913," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 46(4), pages 1265-1294, November.
    3. Kiyota, Kozo & Okazaki, Tetsuji, 2016. "Assessing the effects of Japanese industrial policy change during the 1960s," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 31-42.
    4. Madureira, Nuno Luis, 2012. "The iron industry energy transition," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 24-34.
    5. Ulaş Karakoç, 2018. "Industrial growth in interwar Egypt: first estimates, new insights," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 22(1), pages 53-72.
    6. Gustavo Freire & Marcelo Resende, 2020. "Conditional growth volatility and sectoral comovement in U.S. industrial production, 1828–1915," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(6), pages 3063-3084, December.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • F17 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Forecasting and Simulation
    • N11 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913
    • N61 - Economic History - - Manufacturing and Construction - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913

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