Inland connectedness and commodity exports in the first wave of globalization – Levke Jessen-Thiesen

Speaker

Levke Jessen-Thiesen (Kiel Institut)

Abstract

In the second half of the 19th century, a nationwide railway network was rolled out across Denmark. We study how the railway changed domestic transport cost, reshaped the spatial allocation of export activity across port cities, and affected the sectoral composition of Danish exports. Lower inland transportation cost led to a concentration of export activity in the most efficient ports. We estimate that the domestic cost of exporting was reduced by 32% for processed animal products. The uneven cost changes for this product group relative to bulkier commodities fueled the structural transition from grains to processed animal products in the agricultural sector. 

Authors

Levke Jessen-Thiesen (Kiel Institut) — Inga Heiland (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University of Oslo)

Room

Media Room (A-211)