Douglas Irwin
@douglasirwin.bsky.social
Trade/economic history @Dartmouth College @Peterson Institute for International Economics Website: https://sites.dartmouth.edu/dirwin/
October 26, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Anne Krueger political economy of the rent seeking society in action in Argentina
October 24, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Anne Krueger political economy of the rent seeking society in action in Argentina
"Openness is a driver of growth." New Nobel laureate in economics Philippe Aghion is pro-trade and anti-tariff . . . go figure!
October 14, 2025 at 1:12 PM
"Openness is a driver of growth." New Nobel laureate in economics Philippe Aghion is pro-trade and anti-tariff . . . go figure!
Greg Mankiw in the WSJ on whether economics is a science
June 5, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Greg Mankiw in the WSJ on whether economics is a science
The ancients were onto something....
May 26, 2025 at 7:41 PM
The ancients were onto something....
Declining trade volume is a goal, a feature not a bug
May 8, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Declining trade volume is a goal, a feature not a bug
Never thought I'd see such a photo! Probably the same people who opposed TPP in 2016....?
April 19, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Never thought I'd see such a photo! Probably the same people who opposed TPP in 2016....?
Brazil tried protectionism . . did it work? anyone?
www.wsj.com/economy/trad...
www.wsj.com/economy/trad...
April 12, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Brazil tried protectionism . . did it work? anyone?
www.wsj.com/economy/trad...
www.wsj.com/economy/trad...
The actual formula for the tariffs that Trump applied includes kappa - the "kindness" factor, where k >> 0. k > 1 is kindness, k < 1 is unkindness, and Trump set k = 2
April 7, 2025 at 11:22 AM
The actual formula for the tariffs that Trump applied includes kappa - the "kindness" factor, where k >> 0. k > 1 is kindness, k < 1 is unkindness, and Trump set k = 2
March 29, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Administration chides WTO leadership . . .
March 28, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Administration chides WTO leadership . . .
If the auto tariffs leave NAFTA/USMCA in shambles, reciprocal tariffs (April 2, liberation day) will leave the WTO in shambles - at least as far as the US is concerned. The writing is on the wall . . . .
March 28, 2025 at 1:30 PM
If the auto tariffs leave NAFTA/USMCA in shambles, reciprocal tariffs (April 2, liberation day) will leave the WTO in shambles - at least as far as the US is concerned. The writing is on the wall . . . .
Any parallels? "Selling Swamps Exchange..Leading Issues Tumble as Wall Street Assails the New Tariff"
March 3, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Any parallels? "Selling Swamps Exchange..Leading Issues Tumble as Wall Street Assails the New Tariff"
Chicago price theory-type question: why do copper prices soar when steel and aluminum are threatened with tariffs?
www.ft.com/content/9d48...
www.ft.com/content/9d48...
February 10, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Chicago price theory-type question: why do copper prices soar when steel and aluminum are threatened with tariffs?
www.ft.com/content/9d48...
www.ft.com/content/9d48...
Resurrecting this old paper of mine . . .
www.jstor.org/stable/2566374
www.jstor.org/stable/2566374
February 5, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Resurrecting this old paper of mine . . .
www.jstor.org/stable/2566374
www.jstor.org/stable/2566374
If there is any doubt that tariffs are passed through to consumers, the cost of propane to heat my house just went up by the amount of the tariff
February 2, 2025 at 5:20 PM
If there is any doubt that tariffs are passed through to consumers, the cost of propane to heat my house just went up by the amount of the tariff
For those thinking that Trump's tariffs are only a bargaining chip to get a "better deal" . . . .
www.ft.com/content/ff81...
www.ft.com/content/ff81...
February 1, 2025 at 6:35 PM
For those thinking that Trump's tariffs are only a bargaining chip to get a "better deal" . . . .
www.ft.com/content/ff81...
www.ft.com/content/ff81...
As previous chart indicated, two periods of extreme FX shortage (mid-1960s and early 1990s) - both led to devaluation but only 1991 led to reform, thanks to Singh and his band of economic reformers in high positions.....the paper explains how this happened!! 4/6
January 27, 2025 at 6:49 PM
As previous chart indicated, two periods of extreme FX shortage (mid-1960s and early 1990s) - both led to devaluation but only 1991 led to reform, thanks to Singh and his band of economic reformers in high positions.....the paper explains how this happened!! 4/6
FX was scarce: here is a letter from Indira Gandhi asking the central bank for some British pounds so her son Rajiv could go to Cambridge for schooling, and also the infamous Red Book that outlined what imports could be applied for through the gov 3/6
January 27, 2025 at 6:49 PM
FX was scarce: here is a letter from Indira Gandhi asking the central bank for some British pounds so her son Rajiv could go to Cambridge for schooling, and also the infamous Red Book that outlined what imports could be applied for through the gov 3/6
The license raj - in which government permits were required to import anything - emerged in 1957 when a big planned investment push depleted India's foreign exchange reserves - so the govt started rationing it 2/6
January 27, 2025 at 6:49 PM
The license raj - in which government permits were required to import anything - emerged in 1957 when a big planned investment push depleted India's foreign exchange reserves - so the govt started rationing it 2/6
Here's what we import from Colombia that will get socked with 25%/50% tariffs if imposed . . .
January 26, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Here's what we import from Colombia that will get socked with 25%/50% tariffs if imposed . . .
Obviously, industrial production suffered too. Note that it was stagnant for several years after the passage of the McKinley tariff in 1890 . . . so much for creating a booming manufacturing economy
January 24, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Obviously, industrial production suffered too. Note that it was stagnant for several years after the passage of the McKinley tariff in 1890 . . . so much for creating a booming manufacturing economy