Did US safeguards resuscitate Harley-Davidson in the 1980s?

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of International Economics
Year: 2009
Volume: 79
Issue: 2
Pages: 186-197

Authors (2)

Kitano, Taiju (not in RePEc) Ohashi, Hiroshi (University of Tokyo)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper examines US safeguards applied to the motorcycle market in the 1980s. After receiving temporary protection by means of a maximum tariff of over 45%, Harley-Davidson sales recovered dramatically. Simulations, based on structural demand and supply estimates, indicate that while safeguard tariffs did benefit Harley-Davidson, they only account for a fraction of its increased sales. This is primarily because consumers perceived that Harley-Davidson and Japanese large motorcycles were poorly matched substitutes for each other. Our results provide little evidence that safeguard provisions triggered restructuring in Harley-Davidson.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:inecon:v:79:y:2009:i:2:p:186-197
Journal Field
International
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-26