An Economic History of the Silk Industry, 1830–1930 (Cambridge Studies in Modern Economic History, Series Number 5)

This book examines the growth of the world silk industry. Professor Federico documents Western industrialization, the technical progress and the changing methods of production that enabled the silk industry to cope with increased demand. Silk became the first Japanese success story on the world market, with Italy retaining a sizeable share until labor was diverted as a result of its industrialization. Japanese industrialization also led its silk industry to a similar fate after the Second World War. An Economic History of the Silk Industry, 1830-1930, first published in 1997, is an ambitious historical analysis of the development of a major commodity. Dr Federico examines the rapid growth of the world silk industry from the early nineteenth century to the eve of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Silk production grew as a result of Western industrialisation, which in turn brought about increased incomes and thus increased demand for silk products. The author documents the changes in methods of production and the technical progress that enabled the silk industry to cope with this new influx in demand. Dr Federico then discusses the significant changes in the geographical distribution of world output that accompanied this growth. In conclusion, Federico points out that silk did indeed becomes the first example of a Japanese success story on the world market, Italy and China both losing their markets due to Japan's large agricultural supply of raw material (cocoons) and its adroitness in importing and adopting Western technology An economic history of the silk industry, 1830-1930 is an ambitious and innovative historical analysis of the development of a major commodity. Doctor Federico examines the rapid growth of the world silk industry from the early nineteenth-century to the eve of the Great Depression of the 1930s The effect of foreign trade on economic growth and welfare is one of the oldest and most controversial topics in economics.