Resumen de The French refrigeration industry’s protectionism propaganda against Norwegian ice imports, 1899–1920
Imports of Norwegian natural ice into France during the long nineteenth century were met with hostility from the emerging French artificial-ice industry. The phenomenon was more pronounced in the northern ports of France where large amounts of ice were essential for the smooth operation of the fisheries and tourist hubs. This article narrates how the French refrigeration industrialists, collectively in the form of a syndicate but also individually, conducted a fierce campaign against imported Norwegian ice, which they considered to be the main obstacle to the development of their business. Their rhetoric was largely based on protectionist grounds and their principal demand was for a compensatory duty to be imposed on Norwegian ice imports. As the article explains, this self-interested propaganda ultimately collapsed under the pressure of the increasing needs of local economies for imported ice.
