The San Francisco call., 1899-05-30
PORT CHARGES IN
MEXICAN PORTS
IMPORTANT CIRCULAR ISSUED
BY THE CONSUL.
Lighterage Fees Being Unlawfully
Assessed on Ships and Cargoes
in the Southern Re
public.

The following circular conveying i'm
portant information regarding por
charges in Mexican ports has been is
sued by the local Mexican Consul:
The President of the republic has
ordered that the Consulate shall, by
every means at its disposal make
known to the shippers of goods into
our country that the Government has
been informed that some navigation
companies have wrongfully charged
them for lighterage, dockage and tom
mage on loading and unloading and
other charges, expenses and fiscal
fees, which are or are not paid, but
are charged fraudulentIy by the com
panies to the shippers or consignees,
or which, if paid, amount to much less
than charged to them by the COM
panieS
The President recommends to you
that in the notices issued by the Con-
suate and posted in the office care
should be taken to state that for the
benefit of the shippers of goods into
the republic, as also of those com
panies that do not commit the abuse
referred to, he has ordered that such
notice be given so that they may in
all instances verify the exactness of
the charges that the companies may
make for port dues.
In the notice it should be stated
that the only fiscal port dues charge
able to merchandise on it's importa-
ton, and which, according to law, the
Custom-houses should collect from
the importers, and not from the ships,
is that of loading and unloading"
applicable at present only at the port
of Vera Cruz, and at the rate of 81
(silver) for each ton of 1000 Kilograms
of merchandise, gross weight, except
those specified in Circulars Nos. SO and
So, of July 28 and of September 80,
1898, which said merchandise pays
only so cents for each ton weight
Cargoes subject to the dues stated
which are discharged totally by means
of lighters, or those which are trans
shipped from one ship to another an
chored in the port of Vera Cruz, com.
ing consigned to other places, pay
only one-half of the rate before men
toned.
All other port dues chargeable at
ports of foreign entry are imposed on
the ships and not on the merchandise.
Notice must also be given that, ac-
cording to the laws of the country,
no fiscal dues are paid in gold but in
silver, and that the charges made in
some ports by some companies. au-
thorized therefor by the Government.
are also payable in silver; as for ex-
ample. the. so-called bar dues"
charged by the Canalization Company
of the port of Tampieo, the charges
for unloading on private wharves or
on those of construction companies,
such as those at Progreso, Frontera
and Laguna Carmen Island), and also
the expense of lighterage, delivery and
other fees that some companies are
accustomed to charge as in addition
to the freight.
Finally, regarding those vessels that
bring merchandise, with lighterage
paid to ports such as Vera Cruz, where
dues for loading and unloading
are payable, attention should be
called to the fact that if the vessel
ties up to the wharf or dock there is
no expense Of lighterage. and there
fore dues for loading and unlOad ding
are charged in full; but If there should
be lighterage then those dues are re-
duced one-half, as already stated; but
in either event the dues for loading
and unloading are chargeable to the
importers and not to the ships.