Swenson, David A.

March 2006

Many communities are trying to shore up their local economies. One strategy is to work with local industries and with households to increase the amount of purchases that they make from local suppliers of goods and services. This import substitution strategy can yield measurable and significant impacts. This case study looks at Marshalltown, Iowa, and investigates the regional economic gains from a 5% increase in local purchases.

JEL Classification: C50

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