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Comparative Advantage: A Long-Run Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Giovanni Federico

    (European University Institute, Florence and University of Pisa)

  • Nikolaus Wolf

    (Humboldt University Berlin and CEPR)

Abstract

The history of Italy since her unification in 1861 reflects the two-way relationship between foreign trade and economic development. Its growth was accompanied by a dramatic increase in the country's integration with European and global commodity markets: foreign trade in the long run grew on average faster than the overall economy. Behind the dynamics of aggregate trade, Italy's comparative advantage changed fundamentally over the last 150 years. The composition of trade, in terms of both commodities imported and exported and in terms of trading partners, developed from a high concentration of a few trading partners and a handful of rather simple commodities into a wide diversification of trading partners and more sophisticated commodities. In this chapter we use a new long-term database on Italian foreign trade at a high level of disaggregation to document and analyze these changes. We will conclude with an assessment of Italy's prospects from a historical perspective.

Suggested Citation

  • Giovanni Federico & Nikolaus Wolf, 2011. "Comparative Advantage: A Long-Run Perspective," Quaderni di storia economica (Economic History Working Papers) 09, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:workqs:qse_09
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Giordano, Claire & Giugliano, Ferdinando, 2015. "A tale of two Fascisms: Labour productivity growth and competition policy in Italy, 1911–1951," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 25-38.
    2. Brian A'Hearn & Anthony J. Venables, 2011. "Internal Geography and External Trade: regional disparities in Italy, 1861-2011," Quaderni di storia economica (Economic History Working Papers) 12, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    3. Nicholas Crafts & Marco Magnani, 2011. "The Golden Age and the Second Globalization in Italy," Quaderni di storia economica (Economic History Working Papers) 17, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    4. Barbara Pistoresi, 2013. "Italy's current account sustainability:a long run perspective, 1861-2000," Center for Economic Research (RECent) 092, University of Modena and Reggio E., Dept. of Economics "Marco Biagi".

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    international trade; 19 th -20th century; Italy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • N73 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N74 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: 1913-

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