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WAREHOUSES  IN  FOREIGN  COUNTRIES.

A  large  portion  of  the  American  goods  imported  are  stored  in  this
warehouse.  No  discrimination  is  made  by  the  administrators  of  the
warehouse  between  the  different  countries.
Henry  Bordewich,  Consul-General.
Christiania,  Norway,  August  15,190If..

GOTTENBORG,  SWEDEN.
(From  United  States  Consul  Bergh,  Gottcnborg,  Sweden.)
Here  in  Gottenborg  are  no  proper  warehouse  buildings  for  storing
merchandise  in  transit  or  in  bond.  There  are  only  sheds  or  rooms  in
the  custom-house  building  for  temporary  storage  of  merchandise  until
it  can  be  cleared  at  the  custom-house.  The  merchants  who  have  goods
on  hand  for  which  they  do  not  desire  to  pay  the  import  duty  immediately ­
  own  or  rent  cellars  or  warehouse  rooms  in  any  part  of  the  city,
and  such  warehouse  rooms  become  bonded  (after  application  and
inspection)  by  the  fact  that  the  customs  officials  hold  the  key  to
one  of  the  locks  of  the  door  (which  must  have  two,  the  merchant
holding  the  key  to  the  other).  The  customs  officers  may  also  put  a
seal  on  the  door  if  it  is  considered  necessary.
Whenever  the  merchant  desires  to  take  out,  clear  at  the  customhouse, ­
  or  dispose  of  any  part  of  the  bonded  goods,  or  (itpon  special
permission)  to  repack  the  goods,  or  handle  them  in  any  way,  a  customs ­
  officer  must  be  present  and  make  a  record  of  what  is  done,  so
that  there  will  be  no  confusing  change  of  marks  or  the  like.  According ­
  to  law  the  customs  authorities  have  a  lien  on  the  goods  until  the
import  duty  or  other  dues  are  paid.
Spirituous  liquors,  alcohol,  potatoes  or  other  root  crops,  and  explosive ­
  goods  may  not  be  stored  in  bond.  In  transit  warehouse  spirituous ­
  liquors  or  explosive  goods  may  not  be  stored,  nor  may  potatoes  or
any  other  root  crops  unless  intended  for  reexport.  Only  piece  goods—-that
  is,  merchandise  arriving  boxed  or  wrapped  up,  or  uncovered
goods  in  pieces  or  bundles—may  be  stored  in  transit  warehouses.
For  merchandise  under  bond  there  are  charged  “  bond  dues  ’
amounting  to  1  per  cent  of  the  import  duty.  The  customs  dues  for
goods  in  transit  warehouses  are'  for  the  first  three  months  TO  öre
(about  19  cents)  per  each  100  kilograms  (220.46  pounds),  and  for
each  succeeding  period  of  three  months  35  öre  (about  9  cents)  per  100
kilograms.  Further  relations  between  the  merchant  and  the  customs ­
  officials  as  to  time  for  paying  the  dues,  security,  transport  under
bond,  etc.,  are  minutely  specified  in  the  customs  regulations  in  paragraphs ­
  too  lengthy  to  be  quoted  here.
All  handling  or  transportation  of  the  goods  must  be  done  by  the
owner  or  at  his  expense.  When  goods  to  be  cleared  are  handled,
weighed,  repacked,  etc.,  inside  the  custom-house  by  the  customs
warehousemen,  the  merchant  must  pay  them  for  the  work.
A  private  company  (Göteborgs  Magasinsaktiebolag)  has  severa
warehouse  rooms  for  the  purpose  of  storing  goods  for  merchants,  and
the  company  also  furnishes  loans  on  goods  stored  in  its  warehouses-This
  company  charges  a  rent  varying  from  75  öre  (20  cents)  to  6  öre
(1.6  cents)  a  month  per  100  kilograms  for  lots  of  at  least  5,000  kilo s