Knowledge Tree
Relations (1)
cross_type 3.17 — strongly supporting 8 facts
Douglas A. Irwin is an economic historian who specializes in the analysis of the U.S. trade policy and tariff history, as evidenced by his research on the history of United States tariffs [1], the impact of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act on the U.S. economy {fact:5, fact:6}, and the effects of Chinese imports on the U.S. labor market {fact:7, fact:8}.
Facts (8)
Sources
History of tariffs in the United States - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 8 facts
claimDouglas Irwin emphasizes that a major consequence of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act was the deterioration of United States trade relations with key partners, as the act was perceived as a unilateral and hostile move that undermined international cooperation during a time when the League of Nations was seeking a global tariff truce.
claimEconomic historian Douglas Irwin classifies the history of United States tariffs into three distinct periods: a revenue period (ca. 1790–1860), a restriction period (1861–1933), and a reciprocity period (1934 onwards).
claimEconomist Douglas Irwin states that in the two years following the imposition of the Smoot-Hawley tariff in June 1930, the volume of United States imports fell by over 40%, and he attributes part of this collapse directly to the tariff rather than other factors like falling incomes or foreign retaliation.
claimDouglas Irwin identifies a common myth that low tariffs harmed American manufacturers in the early 19th century and that high tariffs subsequently made the United States a great industrial power in the late 19th century.
claimEconomist Douglas Irwin characterized the 'China shock'—the sharp increase in Chinese imports to the United States—as an exceptional and largely one-off event driven by a large-scale shift of labor from agriculture to industry in China combined with a growing working-age population.
claimDouglas Irwin notes that Southern Democrats maintained substantial influence over United States trade policy until the American Civil War.
claimDouglas Irwin contended that the rise in Chinese imports occurred during a period of falling unemployment in the United States, indicating it was not the result of a general demand shortfall, but rather the geographic concentration of manufacturing and the limited ability of workers to move between regions and sectors.
claimDouglas Irwin states that United States tariffs were intended to serve three primary purposes: to raise revenue for the government, to restrict imports and protect domestic producers from foreign competition, and to reach reciprocity agreements that reduce trade barriers.