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

Joseph H. Davis and Douglas Irwin

No 13451, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

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.

JEL-codes: F13 F17 N11 N61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-com, nep-his and nep-int
Note: DAE
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Published as Davis, Joseph H. & Irwin, Douglas A., 2008. "The antebellum U.S. iron industry: Domestic production and foreign competition," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 254-269, July.

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