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KDI 경제교육·정보센터

ENG
  • 경제배움
  • Economic

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    and Education

    Center

전망·동향
The Macroeconomic Effects of Tariffs: Insights from 180 Years of U.S. Trade Policy
NBER
2026.06.19
We study the macroeconomic effects of tariff policy using U.S. historical data from 1840-2024. We construct a narrative series of plausibly exogenous tariff changes-based on major legislative actions, multilateral negotiations, and temporary surcharges- and use it as an instrument to identify a structural tariff shock. Tariff increases are contractionary: imports fall sharply, exports decline with a lag, and output and manufacturing activity drop persistently. The shock transmits through both supply and demand channels. Prices rise in the full sample but fall post-World War II, a pattern consistent with changes in the monetary policy response and with stronger international retaliation and reciprocity in the modern trade regime.