Starting from Bairoch’s observation of declining French foreign trade, especially in emerging markets during the first globalization (1880-1914), this article endeavours to identify the sources for the failure to exploit the opportunities afforded by global economic growth after 1870. For this...

This article offers an exhaustive quantitative analysis of the French foreign trade during the second part of the 19th century (1850-1913). It uses both geographical and sectoral dimension. Products are analyzed at a highly disaggregated level (corresponding to the SITC rev.3). We have studied...

Partant des travaux de Bairoch sur les difficultés de la France à atteindre les marchés émergents pendant la première mondialisation (1880-1914), cet article tente d'identifier les sources de cet échec. L'article s'appuie sur une base de données totalement nouvelle regroupant les imports...

The Cobden-Chevalier treaty of 1860 eliminated many French import prohibitions and lowered tariffs between France and Britain. Policy change was largely unexpected and unusually free from direct lobbying. A series of commercial treaties with other nations followed because of the use of the...