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The Zollverein and the Formation of a Customs Union

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  • Florian Ploeckl

    (School of Economics, University of Adelaide)

Abstract

The Zollverein, a customs union, of 1834 was the outcome of sequential accession negotiations between Prussia and other German states. This paper applies a bargaining model to analyse the choices of negotiation structure and institutional form of a customs union. The existence of negative coalition externalities, the effect of a new coalition on non-participants, led the agenda setter, Prussia, to choose sequential over multilateral negotiations. Institutionally a customs union structure provided a higher payoff for the agenda setter than capturing the welfare gains from the differential tariff setting in a free trade agreement, explaining the choice of a customs union.

Suggested Citation

  • Florian Ploeckl, 2015. "The Zollverein and the Formation of a Customs Union," School of Economics and Public Policy Working Papers 2015-08, University of Adelaide, School of Economics and Public Policy.
    • Handle: RePEc:adl:wpaper:2015-08
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    File URL: https://economics.adelaide.edu.au/research/papers/doc/wp2015-08.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nikolaus Wolf & Albrecht O. Ritschl, 2011. "Endogeneity of Currency Areas and Trade Blocs: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(2), pages 291-312, May.
    2. Roland Rieder, 2006. "Playing Dominoes in Europe: An Empirical Analysis of the Domino Theory for the EU, 1962-2004," IHEID Working Papers 11-2006, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies, revised Jun 2006.
    3. Ploeckl, Florian, 2008. "Borders, Market Size and Urban Growth, The Case of Saxon Towns and the Zollverein in the 19th Century," Working Papers 55, Yale University, Department of Economics.
    4. Jan Luiten van Zanden & Arthur van Riel, 2004. "Introduction to The Strictures of Inheritance: The Dutch Economy in the Nineteenth Century," Introductory Chapters, in: The Strictures of Inheritance: The Dutch Economy in the Nineteenth Century, Princeton University Press.
    5. Aghion, Philippe & Antras, Pol & Helpman, Elhanan, 2007. "Negotiating free trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 1-30, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Florian Ploeckl, 2008. "Borders, Market Size and Urban Growth, The Case of Saxon Towns and the Zollverein in the 19th Century," Working Papers 966, Economic Growth Center, Yale University.
    2. Florian Ploeckl, 2017. "Towns (and villages): definitions and implications in a historical setting," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 11(2), pages 269-287, May.
    3. Omar Sebastián Cabrera Cabrera, 2016. "El Establecimiento Permanente: Especial Énfasis En La Cláusula De Agencia," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Derecho, number 849.
    4. Ploeckl, Florian, 2013. "The internal impact of a customs union; Baden and the Zollverein," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 387-404.
    5. Schneider, Eric B., 2013. "Real wages and the family: Adjusting real wages to changing demography in pre-modern England," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 99-115.
    6. Eric B. Schneider, 2014. "Prices and production: agricultural supply response in fourteenth-century England," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 67(1), pages 66-91, February.
    7. Richard Pomfret & Markus Lampe & Florian Ploeckl, 2014. "Spanning the Globe: The Rise of Global Communications Systems and the First Globalisation," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 54(3), pages 242-261, November.
    8. José Alves, 2018. "Tax incidence and fiscal systems: some problems on tax compared history in XIX and XX centuries," Working Papers REM 2018/45, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    9. Keller, Wolfgang & Shiue, Carol, 2013. "The Trade Impact of the Zollverein," CEPR Discussion Papers 9387, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Feuerstein Switgard, 2013. "From the Zollverein to the Economics of Regionalism," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 233(3), pages 367-388, June.
    11. Huning, Thilo R. & Wolf, Nikolaus, 2016. "How England Unified Germany: Geography and the Rise of Prussia After 1815," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145725, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Ploeckl, Florian, 2012. "Endowments and market access; the size of towns in historical perspective: Saxony, 1550–1834," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 607-618.
    13. Schneider, Eric B., 2013. "Real wages and the family: Adjusting real wages to changing demography in pre-modern England," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 99-115.
    14. Florian Ploeckl, 2015. "The Zollverein and the Sequence of a Customs Union," School of Economics and Public Policy Working Papers 2015-02, University of Adelaide, School of Economics and Public Policy.
    15. Florian Ploeckl, 2015. "It's all in the Mail: The Economic Geography of the German Empire," School of Economics and Public Policy Working Papers 2015-12, University of Adelaide, School of Economics and Public Policy.
    16. Florian Ploeckl, 2012. "Space, settlements, towns: the influence of geography and market access on settlement distribution and urbanization," Working Papers 2012/23, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    17. Eric B. Schneider, 2014. "Prices and production: agricultural supply response in fourteenth-century England," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 67(1), pages 66-91, February.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • N73 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations

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