New-York tribune., 1891-12-30
WEST INDIAN RECIPROCITY.
LARGE CONCESSIONS GAINED.
AN AGREEMENT WITH THE BRITISH REPRE-
SENTATIVES
LARGE CONCESSIONS TO AMERICAN MANUFACT'
UREs-DETAILED SCHEDULES OF THE
NEW ARRANGEMENTS.
,hr TELEGRAPH TO TIE rkIYCyE.t


5bY TELEGRAPH TIE IkI3CSEt
Washington. Dec oo-As reat,d in these dis |
patches nearly two weeks ago, reciprocity agree
ments have been concluded between the United
Stats and British Guiana and most of the British
West India Isands-Jamaica, Barbados, the Lee
ward Islands, the Windward Islands except
Grenada, and Trinidad. 1t is expected that the
agreement will 60 into operation February l,
/ SO2, as to the West India colonies named above,
and as to British Guiana March 81, 1892. In
view Of the great Importance OF the agreements
to the producers merchants and shippers OF tse
United States who interested in the extension
Of trade with the British colonies, the schedules
showing the articles which, when produced in and
exported from the United States, will be admitted
free or at reduced rates Of duty, are now made
public, although the proclamation of the agreement
and the text Of the official correspondence which
led thereto will not be published until notice
shall have been received that the colonial tariff
legislation made necessary by the arrangement has
b en- enacted-probably within the next fortnight
1t is hardly necessary to suggest TO readers of
| these dispatches that the agreements are among
the most important which have been effected under
the authority granted by the third section of the
Tariff act Of 1890. Our trade with the British
West Indies and British Guiana has steadily in
creased despite the disadvantages caused by tariffs
which have harshy Disseminated against the
United States. A large share of that commerce
has been carried by means of American-built
vessels, sailing under the United States flag.
With the removal, in great measure, OF the dis
eliminating dutes against American products, the
trade will vastly increase, and the balance aganso
the United States will speedily diminish. For the
year ended June 80, 1890, the imports into the
United States from the British West Indies and
British Guiana amounted to Sl9 191 ,903, and the
exports amounted 10 $40 0,0s5, $50, leaving bal
ance against the United States amounting to
so, ,43s. In the year ended June 80, 1891, the
imports Including British Honduras amounted
TO $21,395,4s0 and the exports amounted to
S1l, ,764,057, leaving balance of S0,6SO,523.
The schedules published herewith pertain to
two separate agreements, of which is ap-
plicable to Jamaica alone, and the other to British
Guiana, Trinidad Barbadoes, the Leeward
Islands, and the Winaward Islands, except Grenada
4 faint idea of the difficulty and perpleXity of
framing these agreements-which so far the
United States is concerned was performed by
General John W. Foster special penipotentiary-
may be formed when considers that he had
to study and master the details of less than
eleven separate and distinct tariffs. Not only do
the free lists of these tariffs differ from one
another, but the rates of duty on dutiabe articles
vary. Moreover, export duties are imposed on
various articles by somc of tie colonies, while
none aIe imposed by other colonies. The labor
involved was, in fact, great as it would have
been in framing agreements with eleven separate
and distinct Nations.
To each of the agreements are attached three
sehed "a 4.st. a..!c.2s whIcn are to be ad-
mitted free of all custom duty and any other Ma
tiona colonial municipal charges second, arti-
cles which are to be admitted at a reduction Of
tIo .,fH HItfV poyU
in force in the respective colonies third, articles
which are to be admitted at reduction of %
per cent from the rates in force In the
jamaican agreement there is exception as TO
lumber of pitch pine, rough prepared, which is
reduced from 80 % to So % per thousand feet;
and in the agreement with the other colonies there
is an exception to Trinidad, which colony agrees
that the duty wheat flour shall not exceed
- cents barrel, the present rate beng 50 cents
a barrel which is much lower than in most OF
! the other colonies. In British Guiana the present
rate is 81 barrel; in Barbados it is 81 Oi in
Antigua it is 81 %; in st. Christopher and Nevis
| it is 81 O4; in Dominica it is 81 25; In
Montserrat it is 80 cents; in the Virgin Islands
il is 81 25: in St Lucia il is 81 90. The exports
| of wheat -four from the United States to British
Guiana and the British West Indies in the year
| ended June 30 1890, amounted to S2,619,214, or
onies Under the reciprocity arrangement, wheat
| flour will b, admitted into the several colonies
| named at onehilf the rates above given, except
| in the case Of Trinidad. The agreement with
Jamaica does not provide for a reduction on wheat
| -four from the present rate Of So barrel. which
rate however, is % cents less than tine reduced
| rate on flour exported from the United States
| TO Cuba Partial compensation in the case OF
Jamaica is also obtained by the placing of refined
| sugar on the free lst-the exports of that article
| TO the British West Indies being already con-
| siderable and steadily increasing. The Jamaica
| duty OH refined sugar is four cents pound.
| Two other important articles of export from
| the United States 10 the British West Indies and
British Guiana are picked beef and pork, which in
the wear ended June 80, 1890, amounted to
| 81 O17 49, about % per cent Of the total en-
| ports to those colonies. These articles are to he
| admitted at a reduction of - per cent from the
present rates of duty, which are as follows:
| Barbados 81 % for 90 pounds; British Guiana
| 81 30 a barrel Antigua 1 cent pound; St.
| CHRISTOPHER and Nevis 81 OF for 100 pounds;
| Dominica / > IL per cent al valorem; Montscrrat
| 50 a barrel: Virgin Islands 30 cents Il hundred
weight: Jamaica So - barrel St. Lucia cents
| a mound: ST. Vincent SO IL l-2 a barrel.
| The experts OF petroleum and It's products,
crude and refined, from the United States TO the
| British colonies named during the year ended
| June 30, 1890, amounted in value to about
| S325 900. The duties these products are re-
duced 25 per cent from the following rates; Brit
| ism Guiana % cents gallon; Barbadoes . cents
a gallon Jamaica Is cents a gallon; Antigua
IL cents gallon; ST. Christopher and News
6 IA cents a gallon; Dominica cents gallon;
Montscrrat cents gallon; Virgin Islands IL
per cent al valorcm; Trinidad % cents a gallon;
S+ "A
| gallon.
The duties on bread and biscuit, the exports
NJ which amounted i'm the year ended June 80.
| ,unn L. nhnnt &2ns,nnn arc reduced 20 ncr cont