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SOUTH  AMERICA,

ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC.

[Prepared  by  Consul  E.  L.  Baker.]
I  am  in  receipt  of  the  circular  of  the  Department  of  State  of  the  date  of  April
lil,  1886,  instructing  rae  to  report  the  Customs  duties  that  are  collected  under  the
laws  of  the  Argentine  Ropuhlic  on  certain  specified  articles  of  importation,  the  rate
of  duty  to  be  given  both  in  the  native  currency  and  in  United  States  money.
In  res])onding  to  the  recpiirements  of  this  circular,  I  would  premise  that  the  national ­
  currency  of  the  Argentine  Republic  corresponds  so  nearly  to  the  money  of  the
United  States  that  a  column  of  efjuivalents  seems  to  be  unnecessary,  the  value  of  the
Argentine  gold  dollar,  or  peso,  being  96.5  cents  estimated  in  United  States  gold
dollars.  In  other  words,  the  Argentine  dollar  is  the  exact  equivalent  of  the  wellknown
  five-franc  piece  of  France.
I  would  further  premise  that  the  Argentine  customs  tariff  is  not  a  continuing  law,
kut  runs  only  for  the  year  for  which  it  is  enacted,  each  Congress  modifying  its
provisions  and  its  rates  to  snit  itself  or  the  emergencies  of  the  nation  at  each  annual
session.
I  may  add  that  the  Argentine  customs  tariff,  except  in  reference  to  a  few  specified
articles,  is  entirely  ad  valorem  ;  and  that,  for  the  imports  levied  by  the  Government,
the  custom-house  valuations  of  all  imported  articles  are  officially  regulated  and
fixed  by  the  executive  department  at  the  beginning  of  each  year;  and  hence  the
^ere  rate  of  duty  would  convey  to  our  importers  a  very  imperfect  idea  of  the  Argentine
tariff,  unless  the  official  valuation  is  also  given.  For  this  reason  I  deem  it  proper
bot  only  to  report  the  terms  and  rates  of  the  tariff  of  this  country,  but  also  the  values
Ob  which  the  customs  duties  are  made.
The  following  is  a  translation  of  the  Argentine  tariff  for  the  year  1886  ;
;
CUSTOM-HOUSE  LAW.  .

Article  1.  All  foreign  merchandise  imported  for  consumption  shall  pay  a  duty  of
%  per  cent,  on  its  value  in  deposit,  exce[*t  the  following  articles,  to  wit  :
(1)  All  tobaccos,  which  shall  pay  a  duty  of  55  per  cent.
('•¿)  Fire-arms,  ])owder,  and  munitions,  perfumery,  cigars  of  all  kinds,  and  snuff,
^vhich  shall  pay  a  duty  of  56  per  cent.
(3)  Ready-made  clothing  and  confections,  hats  arid  caps,  shoos,  saddles  and  harness,
carriages,  furniture,  matches  (except  wax),  fire-crackers,  yerba  male,  and  objects  of
b't't,  which  shall  pay  a  duty  of  45  per  cent.
(4)  Iron,  not  galvanized,  in  plates,  bars,  ingots,  hoops,  white  pine  and  spruce  (un-Y^rked),
  common  salt,  all  kinds  of  writing  and  printing  paper,  which  shall  pay  a
duty  of  10  per  cent.
.  (5)  Sackcloth,  jewelry,  gold  and  silver  (worked),  silk  thread  and  fringe,  every
justrument  or  utensil  with  a  handle  or  having  gold  or  silver  adornment  (when  these
cuerease  its  value  one-third),  plows,  staves,  and  casks  of  wood  or  iron,  printed  books,
^ith  paper  binding  or  in  cloth,  or  pasteboard  without  gold  eoges,  printing-presses.
Pointing  materials,  with  the  exception  of  types,  lithographic  presses,  machinery  of  all
kinds  for  agricultural  or  industrial  establishments,  steam-engines,  or  pieces  of  the
sanie,  thread  wire  for  binding  purposes,  sulphuric  acid,  and  sulphate  of  lime,  which
shall  pay  a  duty  of  5  per  cent.
(6)  Precious  stones  unset,  which  shall  pay  a  duty  of  2  per  cent.
(7)  The  following  specific  duties  are  hereby  imposed,  to  wit  :
^heat  per  100  kilograms..  $1  65
Starch  per  kilogram..  05
Coffee  do....  08
^iicaroni  -  do.-,.  07
^  lour  and  corn-meal  du  04