Tariff History Lessons from the European Periphery. Protection Intensity and the Infant Industry Argument in Spain and Italy 1870-1930 Articles uri icon

publication date

  • June 2010

start page

  • 340

end page

  • 363

issue

  • 1

volume

  • 35

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0172-6404

abstract

  • This paper endeavors to study Spanish protectionism on the Italian mirror. On the assumption that the literature presents both European peripheral countries at a similar stage of development and commercial
    policy replies to late 19th century economic globalization. Italian
    tariff policy was much more moderate and influenced by fiscal duties
    than the Spanish one that enjoined a very high tariffs on the
    manufacture sector. This paper present by first time a unified data base
    of effective protection and revealed comparative advantage for both
    countries and develop a new test based on the infant industry argument.
    Conclusions emphasize the existence of significant different tariff
    policies in Spain and Italy between 1870-1930 as a relevant variable in
    the configuration their respective export manufacture competitiveness
    and specialization in the long run.