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Revisiting the Niuzhuang Oil Mill (1868–1870): Transferring Western Technology into China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2015

Hsien-chun Wang
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Abstract

In 1868, the prominent British firm, Jardine, Matheson & Co., opened the Niuzhuang Oil Mill, one of China’s earliest mechanized factories, but closed it in 1870. The mill faced no oppositions from local government officials but suffered from some technical defects. It produced better quality products that obtained higher prices. This essay argues that the mill’s failure had to do with high capital costs and low profitability.

Type
Articles
Information
Enterprise & Society , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , December 2013 , pp. 749 - 768
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2013. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Business History Conference. All rights reserved.

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