No. 21.
Mr. Magee to Mr. Bayard
.
Legation of the United States,
Stockholm
,
November 7, 1887. (Received November
21.)
No. 101.]
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that I
am in receipt of a note from his excellency Count Ehrensvörd,
secretary of foreign affairs, in response to my inquiry based upon
your instruction No. 49, of date August 5 last.
From the note of his excellency I am informed no discrimination
exists at the present time, or has since the year 1827, in tonnage
or other duties charged upon shipping as between native and
foreign-built vessels. The only exception is fishing vessels
entering ports of the United Kingdom from the Arctic and White
Seas.
I have caused to be translated section 4 of the royal ordinances
relating to tonnage dues, etc., and inclose such translation with
this dispatch.
I also inclose a translation of section 9 of the royal ordinances of
Norway regulating tonnage charges, etc.
In Norway the tax is calculated on the actual amount of cargo tons
embarked or discharged, and not on the ship’s measurement. Since
1876 tonnage tax and light-house charges have been united in a
single tax.
In 1827 the following classification was established in Norway:
- A.
- Vessels coming from all places outside of the European
ports with the exception of the ports in the
Mediterranean.
- B.
- Vessels coming from Mediterranean ports.
- C.
- Vessels coming from all European ports not comprised in
item B.
By circular dated August 9, 1828, vessels coining from ports of the
United States or returning there were ranked in class C.
This classification is still in force. Perhaps this information is
not as full and complete as you would desire. It is in substance
what has been furnished me.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
101.]
royal ordinance in relation to tonnage,
etc. (sweden.)
The tonnage duties to the State are alike for Swedish-and foreign
vessels, fixed to 10 öre per ton, according to the existing hill
of tonnage, and has to be paid every time, both when incoming
and outgoing; but, if a ship during the time of one year makes
several voyages between Sweden and foreign countries, the duty
for outgoing is only paid for the first voyage, and for repeated
incoming only for vessels loaded, when they unload more or less
of their cargo, and will also be considered, as ballasted, but
whose quantity of load is of less importance compared to their
tonnage; in which ease will be applied the stipulation in § 44
in the royal statute regarding the pilot department, February
15, 1881, as this paragraph reads according to the royal edict,
November 17, 1882. Regarding alterations in certain parts of the
above-named statute—
When vessels have been loaded and unloaded at different places,
tonnage duty is only paid at the first port of loading or
unloading, of which a certification has to be made on the bill
of measurement or passport. The following ships are free from
tonnage duties:
Ship destined or not destined to a Swedish port, coming in and
going out in ballast.
Ship which, running between foreign countries, enters a Swedish
port in order to leave passengers and their baggage, or
discharges to another ship goods for export.
[Page 1885]
Ship which, from urgent necessity or to receive further orders,
enters a Swedish port without taking on hoard any other loading
than that necessary for the crew, passengers, or ship.
Ship which, in consequence of average, about which protest is
made, enters a Swedish port for discharging her cargo and, after
repairs, reloads the same for export.
Ship which, from the above-stated reasons, discharges and sells
more or less of the cargo when such sale is limited to what is
necessary for defraying the cost of repairs.
Ship which, during voyage between foreign countries, loads or
unloads in a Swedish port goods not exceeding a quarter of the
ship’s tonnage, which shall be calculated according to the
ship’s documents.
In all these cases the master of the ship has to follow those
regulations in the statute of customs which prescribe that he
shall report himself at the nearest customhouse and deliver the
bill of measurement, observing also what being applicable in
that said statutes may be there stipulated regarding demands of
duty pass.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
101.]
royal ordinance of norway regulating
tonnage tax.
Tonnage duty and light-house dues have to be paid with 80 öre per
ton by ships importing or exporting goods according to the
following rules:
- A.
- No duty is charged for ships going out of the kingdom
for fishing, Provided, That if
goods be exported to foreign countries duty has to be
paid both for outgoing and incoming. If on returning
home goods are brought from foreign countries, the duty
for incoming is paid after the general rules.
- B.
- Duty for direct voyage between Norway and Sweden is
only 30 öre per ton when the whole cargo is loaded and
unloaded in these countries. From the date when for such
voyages no shipping dues are charged in Sweden duty
ceases.
- C.
- Ships when trading between the ports of the White Sea
or Arctic Ocean only pay 40 öre per ton.
In charging these duties it must be observed that they are
charged according to the tonnage in the ship’s bill of
measurement when the custom-house officer declares the ship to
be full loaded, else the duty is charged according to as many
tons as the ship has loaded or unloaded, never, though, for more
tons than the ship’s bill of measurement indicates. If the cargo
loaded or unloaded at the same custom-house does not amount to
one ton, no tonnage duties or light-house dues are paid.
The regulations necessary for reducing goods into tons are
promulgated by Government.
