APPENDIX  E.  —REPORT  ON  RUSSIAN  AND  AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN  TARIFFS.

37

APPENDIX  E.

Copy  of  Report  by  the  Committeé  to  the  Board  of  Trade
respecting  the  new  Russian  and  proposed  new  Austro-Hungarian
  Customs  Tariffs.  (See  p.  11.)

TO  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  BOARD  OP  TRADE.
Sir,
We  have  had  under  consideration  the  new  Russian  and  proposed  new
Austro-Hungarian  Customs  Tariffs,  which  have  been  submitted  to  us  for
opinion,  and  we  have  been  in  communication  with  the  Chambers  of  Commerce
and  a  number  of  other  important  trade  organisations,  with  the  object  of
obtaining  their  views  as  to  the  probable  effect  of  these  tariffs  on  the  trades
and  industries  with  which  they  are  concerned.  In  inviting  the  views  of
these  bodies  on  the  matter  in  question,  we,  of  course,  gave  due  prominence
to  the  facts,  (a)  that  the  tariffs  are  not  in  operation,  and  that,  as  yet,  no  date
has  been  fixed  upon  which  any  portion  of  them  will  enter  into  force  ;  (6)  that
the  rates  of  duty  fixed  by  existing  treaties  between  Russia  and  Austria-Hungary
  and  other  Powers  cannot  be  altered  while  those  treaties  are  in  force
without  the  consent  of  the  Powers  concerned  ;  and  (c)  that  the  tariffs  under
consideration  are  in  the  main  in  the  nature  of  tarifs  de  combat,  to  be  used  in
the  process  of  negotiations  for  new  commercial  treaties.
We  append  a  summary  of  the  replies  which  we  have  received  from  the
bodies  we  consulted,  and  have  to  offer  the  following  observations  thereupon  :—
1.  The  general  effect  of  the  replies  is  that  the  tariffs  now  in  force  are  of
a  Ter  y  protective  character,  and  that  even  as  matters  stand  it  is  rendered
difficult  for  British  manufacturers  and  traders  to  carry  on  remunerative
business  in  either  the  Russian  or  the  Austro-Hungarian  market.
2.  It  is  also  represented  that  the  duties  on  many  important  articles  of
British  trade  are  proposed  to  be  raised  in  both  countries  from  their  present
high  level,  thus  increasing  the  impediments  in  the  way  of  business  which
already  exist.  The  tariff  rates,  it  is  urged,  are  in  many  instances  proposed
to  be  advanced  from  a  protective  to  a  prohibitive  point,  so  that  if  the  new
tariffs  were  to  be  put  into  force  in  their  present  shape  it  would  become
virtually  impossible  for  business  to  be  done  with  either  country  in  many
classes  of  goods.
3.  It  is  suggested  from  several  quarters  that  efforts  should  be  directed  by
His  Majesty’s  Government  not  only  to  bringing  about  a  modification  of  the
proposed  new  rates,  but  also  a  reduction  of  those  already  in  force.  If  such
reduction  could  be  procured,  an  increased  trade  would  result  to  the  mutual
advantage  of  the  United  Kingdom  and  the  two  countries  whose  tariff
proposals  are  now  in  question.
4.  Among  the  principal  articles  in  respect  of  which  it  has  been  represented ­
  to  us  that  the  new  Russian  tariff  would  be  injurious  to  British
trading  interests  are  leather,  earthenware,  india-rubber,  various  chemicals,
white  and  red  lead,  manufactured  iron  and  steel  of  various  descriptions,  wire
of  all  kinds,  needles,  tools,  cutlery,  machinery,  cotton  and  woollen  yarns  and
piece  goods,  cotton  lace,  and  cotton  hosiery.
The  following  statement  gives  particulars  of  the  existing  and  new  tariff
duties  on  the  chief  classes  of  these  goods,  and  shows  also  the  percentage
increases  proposed  on  the  present  rates  :—

Increases  in  the  Russian  Tariff  on  the  Principad  Articles  of  British  Trade.
(Rouble  =  100  copecks  =  2s.  lid.  Poud  =  36  lbs.  Punt  =  '  902  lbs.)

Tariff
No.

55  (3)
74  (4)
75(2)
(3)

Classification  of  Articles.

Dressed  hides  and  skins  (leather),  large
Common  pottery,  plain
„  ornamented
Earthenware,  white,  with  rims,  borders,  &amp;c.  of  one
colour.
„  „  ornamented

Existing  Rates  New  Rates  of  Percentage
of  Duty.  Duty.

Rbls.  Cop.
Poud  9  90
„  0  371
„  0  90
»  1  8%
,,  4  95

Rbls.  Cop.
Poud  11  00
„  0  45
„  1  50
„  2  10

11
20
67
12

5  62}  !  11
E  3