Arizona republican., 1899-11-15
The New Tariff Law in Success
full Operation.
INCREASE OF TRADE BALANCE
Imports Have Fallen orr 37-I-2
Per cent while Exports Have In
creased Twenty-Five Percent.
The United States Suffers Less
Than Any Other Country from
the nikado's New Policy.

Washington, Nov 14-(Special.)-
Japan's imports are rapidly decreasing
under her new tariff which went into
effect at the beginning of the present
year, though her exports go on in
creasing meantime. A statement Just
received by the treasury bureau of
statistics shows that the total imports
of Japan during the first seven months
of the present year were III, ,5S1. .744 yen
against 17LO74,37S in the corresponding
months of last year, while the exports
in the same time were LOG, ,77O.121 yen,
against S2,1SS,791 yen in the CORES
ponding months of last year. Thus
while her exports have increased 25
per cent, her imports under the new
tariff, which is mildly protective as
compared with its predecessor, have
decreased 81 per cent. Rates of duty
under the former Japanese tariff We're
in few if any cases in excess of per
cent. The new tariff which went into
effect January l, 1899, however, levies
duties ranging from 10 to 40 per cent.
very few falling below 10 per cent and
those on articles which come into COM
petition with domestic manufactures
ranging Is. 20 and % per cent ad va
lorem. How much this new tariff has
to do with the marked reduction in
japanese imports is of curse a matter
of conjecture. though the fact that her
imports had been rapidly increasing
in the years preceding the adoption of
the new tariff at least suggests that
this had something to do with the
marked change in the course of i'm
ports beginning with January 1. 1899.
the date at which the new tariff act
ually went into effect. The total i'm
ports of Japan have increased from
6, 000, ,000 yen in 1891 to III, ,00O, 900 in
1894. III. 900 in 1896. 219, 900 in 1897,
and 277,OOO, 900 yen in 1898, thus show
ing an average growth of fully 20 per
cent per annum, while the figures of
the present year. as already indicated,
show a reduction of 81 per cent as
compared with the corresponding
months of 1898.
This marked reduction in Japan's
imports suggests an inquiry as to how
great an effect it is having upon her
purchases from the United States. An
examination of our own statement OF
exports to Japan made during the
seven months covered by the japanese
figures shows a reduction of only 49,
per cent in our sales to Japan, against
81 per cent in those of the world at
large as shown by her own statement
of imports referred to above.
A study in detail of the imports of
Japan in the seven months of 1899 un-
der consideration shows that while a
very considerable share of the reduc-
ton in imports is due to the small i'm
portations of rice in the present year p
as compared with those of last year.
nearly all of the other articles of inn
portation also show a reduction. Cot
ton yarns. for instance, fell from
6,1OS, ,964 yen in seven months of 1898 to
1,S47. .767 yen in the same months OF
1899; imports of machinery. from 4,69f,-
2O9 yen, to S,2S9, ,75S yen; bar iron, from
S.2s1. .53S to 1,O9S.9S5 yen; locomotives.
from 3,O67 .OSO yen, to 1,95S, 500 yen; gray
shirtings, from 2.S92.O71 yen, to 1,21s.-
SIS ven; mousseline de laine, from
2.745, ,OS9 yen. to 2,o59,57S yen; steel rails.
from 2,205,216 yen, to SSi,746 yen;
watches, from 1,61S.2O5 yen, to Ss,01S
ven; cotton satins and velvets, from
1.541. .524 yen, to 242,eSO yen; printing
paper from 1,4S5.445 yen to 2Ss.O92 yen:
structural iron for bridges and build
ings. from 1854. .424 yen to 14S.6Sf yen;
wooden cloths, from 1,0T2.s56 yen, 10
457 .SO1 yen; pig iron, from 1,OOS, ,421 yen,
to 564.57S yen; flour, from 909,611 yen.
to $50, ,SS5, all the above statements re-
lating to the first. seven months of
1898, compared with the first seven
months of 1899.
Taking our own statement of exports
during the present year. it is found
that eight of the twenty-four principal
articles show an increase in the value
of expectations to Japan in the seven
months of 1899, compared with those
of 1898, the articles in which there has
been an increase being books and
maps, scientific instruments, type
writers, naval stores, canned beef.
cheese and leaf tobacco. In cotton the
reduction in exports has been very
slight, being for the seven months OF
1899, S4,954, al, against S5,O6S,775 in the
same months of 1898, while in tobacco
the increase has been very great, be-