New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-06
TRADE WITH BRAZIL.
THE AMERICAN TARIFF NOT AT FAULT.
FREETRADE sOPHISTRIES-COMMERCE vIRTU@
ALLY UNRESTRICTED BY THE UNITED
sTATES-oNEsIDED RECIPROCITY
IMPORTANCE OF THE WORLDS
FAIR IN NEW-Y0RK.
trRoM A slAfv coeaEspoypEyro on rnE ramuvr. |


asked, hope TO extend its commerce with the
South American countries so long as it refused
TO buy their products and raw materials? IL was
unreasonable, they were good enough TO explain fof
Americans, while keeping a high Chinese wall
around their own coasts, to expect the nations
in the South to buy merchandise i'm New-York
New-Orleans or San Francisco when they were
not allowed TO sell anything in return IL
Americans ANXIOUS they continued, to COM
pete with Europe for the South American trade,
let them lower their tariff schedules on eyery-
thing imported from that quarter ana then.
when they have established a rational system
of exchange, they will find themselves able with
free wool and untaXed materials to manu-
facture goods on even terms with England and
Germany. The tariff must first go. and then all
| things would be fulfilled. American shipping
would then be restored to the seas without sub
sidy or bounty. American commerce would lie
indefinitely extended under continental system
of free trade and unrestricted exchanges. Let
the tariff barriers be thrown down, and American
trade would speedily and inevitably overcome all
European competition.
IL these doctrinaips whose argument / have
reproduced were to enter a Brazilian city and talk
for half an hour with an American or Portuguese
merchant on these general lines, they would be
taught greatly needed lesson Of self-restraint.
They would find out at Para that rubber, the ono
great staple of the Amazon Valley is admitted
into the United States free Of duty. More than
two-thirds, possibly much three-quarters,
of this raw material produced in Northern Brazil
goes to the American market. Then if they were
to continue the voyage with me TO Rio and Santos
they would ascertain that coffee which is TO
Brazil what cotton is to own South, wheat
to our Northwest, is exported in enormous guam
~ IN no | pifaI nd ed
duty free In this respect Americans offer 10
Brazil favorable conditions of trade than
England, for this great staple, coffee, is subject
To moderate duty there. Indeed with the
single exception of sugar, all the chief exports
of Brazil enter the United States without restrc-
ton; and the exception is not an important one,
since barely one-tenth of the sugar consumed
| there is supplied from that quarter. So far as
! Brazil is concerned there is no Chinese wall sur
| rounding the American market. Its products and
raw materials are received on the most favorable
terms, for coffee, which is taxed in England, is an
ample offset to the sugar, which duty is levied
| in the United States Instead Of refusing to buy
its merchandise, Americans are among its largest
| customers. They receive SO per cent OF the
exports Of Rio. Nothing could be erroneous
than the doctrinares assumption that Americans
! in seeking TO extend their trade place themselves
! in the attitude of asking Brazil TO buy goods
| from them and of declining 10 buy anything
| in return.
This question Of removing restrictions imposed
by protective tariff is not that either Brazil
| or any other South American country raises
! in its commercial dealings with the United States.
| Let the dOctrnaire watch the American steamer
| as it discharges cargo at Para, and he will find
that everything save machinery coming from the
| United States is subject to heavy duties. The
| Brazians have a tariff that is among the highest
in the world. Everything coming from abroad,
with the exception of certain classes of machinery,
is levied upon by the custom houses. Nor is this
all Nearly everything that is exported is SUBJ
! ject to heavy charges for the benefit of the
national treasury When the United States re-
moved the duties on coffee, the Brazilian Govern
mcnt imposed export tax nearly equal TO
the tariff charges that had been abrOgated. All
! the rubber that is brought down the Amazon
! and its tributaries is subject To an export duty
I here, although the bulk of it goes to the United
| States without payment of duty there III sugar
! is liable To duty at the American custom houses
the Brazilians themselves have previously levied
an export upon il before it leaves their ports.
! In fact, they not in position when discussing
| trade relations with the United States, TO com-
! plain Of the few moderate charges imposed upon
their own productions in the American market
|
our ports is heavily taxed at their custom houses.
and they levy an export duty upon all their own
merchandise. In respect to coffee and rubber.
their great staples, they discriminate sharply
against us by these export duties when we have
sought to promote trade with them, and to cheaper
prices tor American consumers by removing tarin
! restrictions.
in view Of these considerations the argument
of our frcc-trldc monitors that commerce WIN
Brazil can only lie promoted by the removal ot
tariff restrictions in our own ports falls to the
! ground If Americans are not getting their share
of the immense import trade of that country,
the fault does not lie with their own tarih sys-
EN-. By putting rubber, cabinet woods, dye
stuts and many other characteristic products
ON the free list they have already made s. close
an approach To Unrestricted trade that only the
duties on sugar and few other classes Of mer-
chandise are lett narrow basis for the ne
! gotiation of commercial treaties Indeed, 50
long as reciprocity ARRANGEMENTS DO not ihcIule
! guarantees Jyr the removal on the hrdZlAan slue
| of export duties 10y which the l@nehts to Amer.
| lean consumers derived from the reduction OF
| the United States customs schedules are counter
| acted, the eApedlency Il such negotiations may
! seriously be questioned. IL American commerce
! with Brazil could te developed III accordance WIN
the idea of the Frce-tradcrs, why has not the re-
! suit been already obtained Inc Chl'eu otliTess,
| by It's customs laws, oilers Brazil more tiNOrape
| conditions of trade than either France or Uer-
! many, and when coffee IS taken INTO account, ~
| is on terms of equality with England. Why 10
| it. then that II has less than tenth of the I'M
! port trade of Brazil while England has nearly
| one-halt of 1t? Why is IL that there are only
! three American passenger steamers and rev
| frejehters IN the Brazilian trade, while Engllsh,
| French German and Italian lines without mum,
ber are constantly To be seen IN these porIsr
WHY is il that tour steamers sail from Para every
! month for New York while one American steamer
comes in for the mails? If removal OF American
| customs dues Ire the only thing needed for tho
| promotion of trade between the two countries,
why are not the reneclal results already seen In
| a vast increase Of commerce and shipping? 80
| Ion. as these questions remain unanswered other
| causes must he assigned for the backward stare
| Of development of American trade with Brazil
The Chinese wall is a fgment Of the free-trade