Mr. Burlingame to Mr. Seward
No. 46.]
Legation of the United States,
Peking,
June 26, 1863.
Sir: I am most happy to inform you that the
imperial government, in response to my request for an extension of time
in which to re-export native produce, from three to twelve months, has
most handsomely met my wishes.
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This change will do much for the trade of all nations, and puts us under
many obligations to the Chinese. You will find the correspondence
attached, marked A, B, and C.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
A.
Mr. Burlingame to Prince Kung
Legation of the United
States, Peking,
April 16, 1863.
I have the honor to inform your Imperial Highness that that portion
of the Yangtsze-Kiang regulations which requires native produce to
be re-exported within three months, if the merchant would recover
the coast trade duty charged at the river port, has been found to
work a great hardship both to Chinese and foreigners, and I most
respectfully request that the time may be extended to twelve
months.
If it is not done, the merchants in Shanghai will be compelled to
open large establishments in the interior, thus overthrowing the
business arrangements of the Chinese, and creating fresh sources of
trouble. Now the Chinese hesitate about sending goods to Shanghai
for sale, because, if by any chance cause sales are delayed for
three months, they will lose the coast trade duty. Indeed, it has
been found impossible to sell goods within the three months allowed.
Thus this rule is a positive hindrance to commerce, and deprives the
imperial government of those revenues it would otherwise receive
from a larger sale of produce. The change I ask would not hurt
anybody, but would help everybody.
I therefore feel confident that your Imperial Highness will hasten to
relieve commerce from the burdens put upon it by that rule.
I have, &c.,
Prince Kung, Chief
Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
B.
Prince Kung to Mr. Burlingame
His Imperial Highness Prince Kung, chief secretary of the Chinese
government for foreign affairs, herewith replies:
I have the honor to acknowledge a communication from your excellency,
in which you show that the drawback certificates for half duty on
goods stored for re-export should not be limited to three months, a
period much too short, but ought to be extended to a full year. It
appears that the merchants who bring native produce down the
Yangtsze-Kiang to Shanghai pay full tariff export duty when it
leaves its original port, and half duty when to be re-exported to
another port. Such produce being duly reported to the customs, when
the merchant wishes to send it out of port, pays half duty; and if
it is within three months, he can re-enter it at another port on
presentation of the drawback certificate, which is received as valid
for the duty.
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Now, since that, in the despatch under reply, your excellency
observes that the time for three months, allowed in the drawback
certificates, during which this produce must be re-exported, must be
regarded as much too short, I have extended the limit to a year.
Therefore, after this date, whenever produce, brought down the
Yangtsy to Shanghai, has been reported to the customs for
re-exportation at any time within a year, they shall, on
ascertaining that the goods are in their original packages, neither
broken open nor abstracted from, and their number and weight
correct, and all particulars tally with the original report, grant a
drawback certificate for half-duty, to be substituted for the former
certificate, and delivered to the holder of the goods, as evidence
of the duty having been paid.
I shall inform the superintendent of commerce respecting this
regulation, and instruct him to send orders to the customs officers
for them to act accordingly, and I now likewise send this reply to
your excellency, requesting that you will inform yourself upon the
whole subject.
His Excellency Anson Burlingame, &c., &c., &c.
C.
Mr. Burlingame to Prince Kung
Legation of the United
States, Peking,
June 26, 1863.
Sir: Permit me to thank your Imperial
Highness most cordially for extending the time in which to re-export
native produce from three months to one year. The change will do
much to facilitate trade and to strengthen the friendly relations
already existing between our two countries.
I have, &c.,
His Imperial Highness Prince Kung, Chief Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
