Word: xeroxers
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Ever since oil-exporting countries showed how to run up prices by banding together, other developing countries have dreamed of emulating OPEC's success. Discussions have been held about forming cartels to cover commodities as varied as coconut oil, copper and phosphate rock. Such Xerox copies of OPEC have almost universally failed because of easily available substitute products or the unwillingness of would-be cartel members to cut production enough to maintain high prices. The copper exporting organization, for example, was weakened when industrial users began replacing that metal with plastics and aluminum, and effectively collapsed when the last...