The political economy of Mexican protectionism, 1868--1911.
详细信息
- 作者：Marquez Colin ; Graciela.
- 学历：Doctor
- 年：2002
- 导师：Coatsworth, John H.
- 毕业院校：Harvard University
- 专业：Economics, History.;History, Latin American.
- ISBN：0493657665
- CBH：3051234
- Country：USA
- 语种：English
- FileSize：23307680
- Pages：628
文摘
Protectionism accompanied Mexican development since Independence, and continued to be a significant component of development policies until the end of the 20th century. The effects of protectionism on different sectors of the economy depended on the levels, sources and interest behind protectionist measures. This dissertation focuses on the characteristics of protectionism during the years of the Restored Republic (1868–1876) and the Porfiriato (1876–1911). Using government, congressional, and diplomatic material I analyze the processes of tariff reforms that took place in 1872, 1880, 1885, 1887, 1891, and 1905. I found that while fiscal dependence was the driving force behind commercial policy design up until 1885, from 1887 to the end of the Porfiriato tariff policy became increasingly connected to the economic development plans of the government. Thus, by 1905 the structure of the tariff portrayed, in general, lower rates for raw materials and intermediate goods while finished products enjoyed higher rates. Yet, tariff levels declined steadily throughout the 1890s and early 1900s because changes in specific tariffs could not compensate for variations in import prices. But tariffs were not the only source of protection. The silver standard also shielded domestic producers from foreign competition through the depreciation of the silver peso from the early 1870s to the monetary reform of 1905. By the 1890s, the exchange rate provided protection to all sectors of the Mexican economy, eliminating the need of individual negotiations for securing protection levels in favor of domestic producers. Therefore, as tariff protection decline, the devaluation of the Mexican peso created an exchange-rate barrier that allowed Mexican producers to maintain an advantage over imported goods. In other words, monetary policy acted in tandem with commercial policy until the monetary reform of 1905. After 1905, tariffs regained its role as a source of protection, benefiting those groups with a significant negotiation power or with close ties with the economic development projects of the late Porfiriato.