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Contracts, Hold-Up, and Exports: Textiles and Opium in Colonial India

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Abstract

Trade and export, it is argued, spur economic growth. This paper studies the microeconomics of exporting. We build a heuristic model of transactions between exporters and producers and relate it to East India Company operations in colonial Bengal. Our model and the historical record stress two difficulties: the exporter and its agents might not uphold pricing agreements, and producers might not honor sales contracts. The model shows when procurement succeeds or fails, highlighting the tension between these two hold-up problems. We analyze several cases including the East India Company's textile venture, the famous Opium Monopoly, and present-day contract farming.

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  • Anand V. Swamy & Rachel E. Kranton, 2006. "Contracts, Hold-Up, and Exports: Textiles and Opium in Colonial India," Department of Economics Working Papers 2006-05, Department of Economics, Williams College.
    • Handle: RePEc:wil:wileco:2006-05
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    File URL: https://web.williams.edu/Economics/wp/swamytextileopiumdecember2006final.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Delpeuch, Claire & Vandeplas, Anneleen, 2013. "Revisiting the “Cotton Problem”—A Comparative Analysis of Cotton Reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 209-221.
    2. Macchiavello, Rocco, 2010. "Vertical integration and investor protection in developing countries," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 162-172, November.
    3. Madestam, Andreas, 2014. "Informal finance: A theory of moneylenders," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 157-174.
    4. Danzer, Alexander M. & Grundke, Robert, 2020. "Export price shocks and rural labor markets: The role of labor market distortions," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    5. Balat, Jorge & Brambilla, Irene & Porto, Guido, 2009. "Realizing the gains from trade: Export crops, marketing costs, and poverty," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(1), pages 21-31, June.
    6. Depetris Chauvin, Nicolas & Porto, Guido G., 2011. "Market Competition in Export Cash Crops and Farm Income," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126159, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. repec:lic:licosd:29011 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Rocco Macchiavello, 2007. "Vertical Integration, Missing Middle and Investor Protection in Developing Countries," Economics Series Working Papers 373, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    9. Swinnen Johan & Vandeplas Anneleen, 2012. "Rich Consumers and Poor Producers: Quality and Rent Distribution in Global Value Chains," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 1-30, January.
    10. Arthur Blouin & Rocco Macchiavello, 2019. "Strategic Default in the International Coffee Market," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 134(2), pages 895-951.
    11. Kala Krishna & Yelena Sheveleva, 2017. "Wheat or Strawberries? Intermediated Trade with Limited Contracting," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(3), pages 28-62, August.
    12. Alexander M. Danzer & Robert Grundke, 2016. "Coerced Labor in the Cotton Sector: How Global Commodity Prices (Don't) Transmit to the Poor," CESifo Working Paper Series 5937, CESifo.
    13. Rocco Macchiavello & Ameet Morjaria, 2015. "Competition and Relational Contracts: Evidence from Rwanda's Coffee Mills," 2015 Meeting Papers 431, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    14. Macchiavello, Rocco & Miquel-Florensa, Josepa, 2019. "Buyer-Driven Upgrading in GVCs: The Sustainable Quality Program in Colombia," CEPR Discussion Papers 13935, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    15. repec:lic:licosd:23309 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Tirthankar Roy, 2011. "Indigo and law in colonial India," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 64, pages 60-75, February.
    17. Deb, Rahul & Suri, Tavneet, 2013. "Endogenous emergence of credit markets: Contracting in response to a new technology in Ghana," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 268-283.
    18. Macchiavello, Rocco, 2010. "Development Uncorked: Reputation Acquisition in the New Market for Chilean Wines in the UK," CEPR Discussion Papers 7698, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    19. Lorenzo Casaburi & Rocco Macchiavello, 2015. "Loyalty, Exit, and Enforcement: Evidence from a Kenya Dairy Cooperative," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(5), pages 286-290, May.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law
    • L67 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Other Consumer Nondurables: Clothing, Textiles, Shoes, and Leather Goods; Household Goods; Sports Equipment
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O19 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations
    • Q13 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Markets and Marketing; Cooperatives; Agribusiness
    • N65 - Economic History - - Manufacturing and Construction - - - Asia including Middle East
    • N75 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Asia including Middle East

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