The Structure of Protection and Growth in the Late 19th Century

Lehmann, Sibylle; O'Rourke, Kevin H.

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The Structure of Protection and Growth in the Late 19th Century

CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP7053

48 Pages Posted: 18 Dec 2008

See all articles by Sibylle Lehmann

Sibylle Lehmann

Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods; Trinity College (Dublin) - Institute for International Integration Studies (IIIS)

Kevin H. O'Rourke

University of Dublin, Trinity College; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

There are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: November 2008

Abstract

Many papers have explored the relationship between average tariff rates and economic growth, when theory suggests that the structure of protection is what should matter. We therefore explore the relationship between economic growth and agricultural tariffs, industrial tariffs, and revenue tariffs, for a sample of relatively well-developed countries between 1875 and 1913. Industrial tariffs were positively correlated with growth. Agricultural tariffs were negatively correlated with growth, although the relationship was often statistically insignificant at conventional levels. There was no relationship between revenue tariffs and growth.

Keywords: growth, history, tariffs

JEL Classification: F13, F43, N10, N70, O49

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Lehmann, Sibylle and O'Rourke, Kevin H., The Structure of Protection and Growth in the Late 19th Century (November 2008). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP7053, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1311177