This paper examines whether copper imports anticipate economic developments in Germany. A comparison with business expectations shows that firms tend to increase copper orders when anticipating rising demand. Copper prices and GDP also correlate positively with a delay of 1–3 quarters, reaching 0.296 after two quarters. Yet, large business climate…

China’s response to global challenges, including efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, has been widely discussed. However, the dearth of official Chinese data on its global development activities has complicated empirical assessments. This article introduces a systematic way to measure China’s foreign aid through official customs records…

This paper examines the spread of electric refrigerators in U.S. households as a technological shock that replaced manual labor in ice retailing during the 1930s. Households initially used iceboxes for refrigerated food preservation, requiring regular replenishment of ice blocks and delivery by iceman. With the advent of electric refrigeration, such…