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Nikolaus Wolf (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), co-authored with David Jacks and Christopher Meissner
Wednesday 13 May 2026, 16:15-17:45
The economic impact of the Suez Canal opening
- 👤 Speaker: Nikolaus Wolf (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), co-authored with David Jacks and Christopher Meissner
- 📅 Date & Time: Wednesday 13 May 2026, 16:15 - 17:45
- 📍 Venue: William Hardy Building Room 101, Department of Geography and on Zoom
Abstract
For all its importance, there is still no comprehensive quantitative assessment of the Suez Canal’s opening in 1869. We find that it led to an 86% relative increase in bilateral exports for affected country pairs with no evidence of trade diversion for non-affected country pairs. With respect to the composition of trade, Suez was associated with large changes in export shares but only in a small number of goods categories. With respect to mechanisms, the relative cost of using steamships on Suez-affected routes fell immediately after 1869 and is mirrored by a similarly dramatic increase in the deployment of steamships on these routes, suggesting a large role for Suez in the global diffusion of steam technology.
Join us on Zoom:
https://cam-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/85384843261?pwd=g010iHaLW8KXAwZv6B0h6IqhplYXWb.1
meeting id: 853 8484 3261
passcode: 076264
Series This talk is part of the Quantitative History Seminar series.
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