Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-20
WE MAY RETALIATE
Brazil Asked to Give Concessions to
Our Manufactures.
GREAT APPROPRIATIONS OF COFFEE
Seeking Reciprocity From the
Southern Republic.
A W ATTN ITS EPLY

The proposed retaliatory duty upon the
coffee Of Brazil will not be levied until a
reply has been received to the last repre-
sensations of the Department of State to
the Brazilian government, or until reason
able time for making such reply has
passed. The negotiations for obtaining bet
ter terms for American products in Brazil
have been conducted through the United
States minister at the Brazilian capital
and communications have gone directly
from the State Department to him for pre-
sentation to the Brazilian foreign Office.
Information is scanty at the State De-
partment on the subject of the date of the
latest communication and the time which
will be allowed the Brazilian government
for making reply. There is disinclina-
ton to disclose any of the details of the
correspondence. for fear that interested
parties might avail themselves of the in
formation to defeat the propositions of the
two governments.
Brazil Asked for Concessions.
The State Department has asked that
Brazil make some important reductions on
her present high schedule of duties on
American goods. The schedule of the reci-
procity treaty of 1891 admitted free of duty
when imported from the United States
wheat, wheat flour, corn, rye and rye flour,
potatoes, beans, peas, hay, oats sailed
pork, sailed, dried or picked fish, anthra
cite and bituminous coal, rosin, tar, pitch,
turpentine, agricultural tools, implements
and machinery, mining and mechanical
tools and machinery, including stationary
and portable engines and all machinery
for manufacturing and Industrial purposes,
except sewing machines, instruments and
books for the arts and sciences and rail-
TOW, oil inYn mi
Wheat is still free of duty to all nations,
but flour pays a duty of 80 refs per kilo-
gramme, or about 10 per cent, barley pays
% per cent. hay pays 20 per cent and cot
ton seed Oil pays 80 per cent. Manufac-
lures of cotton, upon which a concession
of 25 per cent was allowed under the reci-
procity treaty of 1891, are charged duties
of from 50 to go per cent, the duty on RIB
bons ranging as high as 10000 refs per kilo-
gramme. Tools and machinery are for the
most part heavily taxed, although agr-
cultural implements are free of duty ana
locomotives are charged only 10 per cent
Would Stimulate Brazilfan Industry.
1t is believed at the State Department
that reductions upon some OF these duties
would not only benefit the United states,
but would do much to stimulate Brazilian
industry by affording it the proper ma
chinery and equipment. Our minister IN
Brazil has been directed to bring these
d
government, and to insist that in view OF
the liberal terms offered by the Onileu
States upon the great. Brazihan pIoouc.,
coffee some concessions were IN equity oue
to this country. -
The statistics show that the imports OF
coffee from Brazil for the ten months end
ing with April 1885, were 531 l2624 POUNDS.
representing a value OF $3s.244, loo' WnLis
stfIs imports for the ten months endlne
with April last were 524 1854 .00l pounds, val
ued at $685., 143. The imports of TINS
single article from Brazil represent more
>than 5 per cent of the total imports OF a.,
products of all countries into the United
States and a much larger proportion of the
imports of any single country ''''
The Proposed RetaliatOry Duty.
Many questions are being asked as to the
time when the retaliatory duty of cents
per pound upon coffee will take effect If 1t
becomes necessary to impose it. 1nforma-
ton upon this subject IS refused at the
State Department. but the precedents OF
the action taken under the Mckinley law
in 1892 would indicate that there will be no
preliminary notice Of the imposition OF the
duty. The proclamation of President Har-
rison imposing duties upon the sugar, coli
fee, tea and hides of Venezuela. Colombia
and Haiti was issued on March 15 1892.
and declared that the free: Introduction OF
these articles shall be suspended from and
after this 10Th day of March, 1897. upon
articles the product of or exported from
ment ruled that the duty took effect upon
articles which were exported after the
date of the proclamation. but not upon ar
ticles which had been exported and were
shipboard prior to that date even though
they had not reached the United States. A
dispatch was sent to the collector at New
York on March II, 1892, saying, I'm ac-
cordance with opinion of Attorney General,
duties attached upon such specified products
of Venezuela as are shipped from that coun-
try on and after 18th instant
Treasury Department Decision.
The question subsequently arose whether
coffee imported from Europe which had
originally come from Colombia or vene-
zuela should be subjected to the retaliatory
duty. decision of the Treasury Depart
ment on April 6, 1892, declared that only
such of the above named products of said
countries as shall have been exported there
from on OF after the 18th day of March,
1892, are held to be dutiable under the
terms Of said proclamation, and consequent
ly that the coffee in question may be ad-
mitted to free entry upon the production of
satisfactory evidence of expectation from
the country of origin to Europe before the
last mentioned date"
1t is not yet known at the State Depart
ment what reply will be made by the Bra
lillian government to the last representa-
tions made by the United States. 1t is
hoped that concessions will be made which
will obviate the necessity of laying the re-
tai1atory duty on Brazilian products but II
is not proposed to wait indefinitely for a
reply from the Brazilian foreign office as to
the policy which thew nronosa to ,,,r.-,,o