The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-27
IMPORTS INTO CANADA
STATISTICS OF IMPORTANCE TO
UNITED STATES SHIPPERS.
Britain by N Further Increase
of Preferential Duties.
pecial to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, April 26.--The announce
ment of a further increase in the Canadian
preferential tariff in favor of the United
Kingdom as against the United States and
other parts of the world gives especial in
terest TO some official figures of the i'm
ports of Canada from the United Kingdom
and the United States. respectively, during
a term of years, which has just been is
sued by the Canadian government and re-
ceived by the Treasury Bureau of Statis-
tics. The Canadian tariff, it will be remem-
bered, was in 1897 so adjusted that the duty
on articles entering Canada from the
United Kingdom was made. beginning with
April, 1897. 12h per cent. less than the rates
from other parts of the world. On July /,
1888. this reduction in duty in favor of the
United Kingdom was increased to % per
cent, and now it is announced that on July
1. 1890. the reduction will be increased to
80 l-3 per cent, or, in other words, that ar
ticles imported from the United Kingdom
and certain of her colonies will only be re-
quired to pay two-thrids of the rates on
articles imported from the United States
and from other parts of the world.
Up to this time the preferential rates
made in favor of imports from the United
Kingdom nave not apparently had the ef-
feet of materially increasing imports from
that country, or of at all reducing those
from the other countries adversely affected
by this reduction. The Canadian official
figures show that the imports from the
United Kingdom in the fiscal year 1896, the
last year under the rate which was uniform
for all parts of the world, were 81 per cent.
of the total importations, while those from
the United States formed sos per cent. of
the total importations. In 1899, under the
full effect of the % per cent reduction in
favor of the United Kingdom, imports
from that country formed only 24LS per
cent. of the total imports of Canada, while
those from the United States formed 59.2
per cent, the proportion of the total which
was taken from the United Kingdom hav-
ing thus materially fallen under the new
preferential tariff, while the proportion
taken from the United States had ma
terially increased. The London Economist
Of March 81, 1900, commenting upon this
subject, says:
I'm the imports Unto Canada) from this
country Omitted Kingdom) there was, last
wear. an increase. as compared with 1896,
of eSl6, 600, or 1215 per cent; whereas, In the
imports from the United states the IN
crease amounted to 6 $3.50 600, or close upon
6iih per cent. Thus, Notwithstanding the
preferential tariff. the increase in imports
from this country UNITED Kingdom) has
been very much less than in the Imports
from the United States. II is necessary,
however, in considering these figures to
remember that the imports Onto Canada)
from the United States consist largely of
raw materials for manufacture, which en-
ter free of duty. These are, of course, I'M
affected by the preferential tariff, and they
naturally tend to grow with the industrial
progress of the Dominion. And even as re-
CARDS Manufactured articles, the geo.
graphical proximity of the States and the
fact that the American manufacturer are
more in touch with the requirements and
predictions of the Canadians operate as
an offset to the preferential tariff, and
have hitherto prevented Ii from operating
so much TO the advantage of the country
as was expected. Whether the still more
favored treatment Ii (Canada) has decided
10 accord us Omitted Kingdom) will alter
the state of things materially remains to
be seen. but past experience warns us not
to be too sanguine in our anticipations."
The following table, taken from Trade
and Commerce, 1899, an official publication
of the Canadian government. shows the
total imports into Canada, and the amount
from the United Kingdom and the United
States, respectively, in each year from 1880
to 1899, and the percentage which the i'm
ports from those countries formed OF the
total impo-tations of the year. 1t will be
observed that the imports from the United
Kingdom which, in 1880. formed asa per
cent. were. in 1899, but 2i.S per cent. of the
total, while those from the United States
which, in 1850. formed 40.3 per cent, were,
in 1899, 59.2 per cent. of the total: