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Tariffs, Cartels, Technology, and Growth in the German Steel Industry, 1879 to 1914

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  • Webb, Steven B.

Abstract

The steel industry of Wilhelminian Germany is especially known for its tariff protection; its anti-competitive collusion, and the rapid increases of its productivity and its output. This study analyzes the interdependence of these four phenomena. The tariffs and cartels were directly symbiotic in providing protection, which had substantial redistributive effects in favor of larger firms. The restriction of competition by tariffs and cartels may have contributed to the productivity advances of the German steel industry by reducing the riskiness of capital-intensive technologies. Productivity increases made a major contribution to the industry's growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Webb, Steven B., 1980. "Tariffs, Cartels, Technology, and Growth in the German Steel Industry, 1879 to 1914," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 40(2), pages 309-330, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:40:y:1980:i:02:p:309-330_10
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    Cited by:

    1. Lehmann, Sibylle H., 2010. "The German Elections in the 1870s: Why Germany Turned from Liberalism to Protectionism," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 70(1), pages 146-178, March.
    2. Crafts, Nicholas, 2020. "British Relative Economic Decline in the Aftermath of German Unification," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 501, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    3. Biermann, Marcus, 2016. "Trade and the Size Distribution of Firms: Evidence from the German Empire," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145879, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    4. Pedro Mendi & Róbert F. Veszteg, 2009. "Sustainability of collusion: evidence from the late 19th century basque iron and steel industry," Investigaciones Economicas, Fundación SEPI, vol. 33(3), pages 385-405, September.
    5. Timothy W. Guinnane, 2001. "Delegated Monitors, Large and Small: The Development of Germany's Banking System, 1800-1914," Working Papers 835, Economic Growth Center, Yale University.
    6. Gupta, Bishnupriya & Mookherjee, Dilip & Munshi, Kaivan & Sanclemente, Mario, 2022. "Community origins of industrial entrepreneurship in colonial India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    7. Nikolaus Wolf, 2021. "Deutschland in der ersten Globalisierung," Wirtschaftsdienst, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 101(4), pages 254-258, April.
    8. Bishnupriya Gupta & Dilip Mookherjee & Kaivan Munshi & Mario Sanclemente, 2018. "Community Origins of Industrial Entrepreneurship in Pre-Independence India," Boston University - Department of Economics - The Institute for Economic Development Working Papers Series dp-318, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    9. Biermann, Marcus, 2016. "Trade and the size distribution of firms: evidence fromthe German Empire," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 69018, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Alfred Reckendrees, 2015. "Weimar Germany: The first open access order that failed?," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 38-60, March.
    11. Marcus Biermann, 2016. "Trade and the size distribution of firms: evidence from the German Empire," CEP Discussion Papers dp1450, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    12. Steven Webb, 2015. "Becoming an open democratic capitalist society: a two-century historical perspective on Germany’s evolving political economy," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 19-37, March.
    13. Hoogenboom, Marcel & Kissane, Christopher & Prak, Maarten & Wallis, Patrick & Minns, Chris, 2018. "Guilds in the transition to modernity: the cases of Germany, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87476, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Pedro Mendi & Rafael Moner-Colonques & José Sempere-Monerris, 2011. "Vertical integration, collusion, and tariffs," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 2(3), pages 359-378, September.
    15. Thorsten Lübbers, 2009. "Is Cartelisation Profitable? A Case Study of the Rhenish Westphalian Coal Syndicate, 1893-1913," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2009_09, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    16. Lübbers, Thorsten, 2008. "Shareholder value mining: Wealth effects of takeovers in German coal mining, 1896-1913," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 462-476, September.

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