COPY
His Majesty's Secretary of State
0153
482
16, Leadenhall Street
$20 FEB 02
for Foreign Affairs,
POREIGH OFFICE,
Dear Sir,
LONDON.
LONDON.
E.C.
25th. February 1902.
+
We respectfully call your attention to the
imposition of an extra Duty which is now being charged
in Prance upon shipments of goods from Formosa to a
French port where the transhipment takes place in
Hongkong instead of in Japan.
Wo are the Agents for the sale of the
Governmant Camphor, and we have lately been shipping same
on a through bill of lading from Formosa with transhipment
in llongkong, instead of shipping the Camphor up to Japan
and thence to Rurope. Some of our buyers complain
that on the Camphor shipped and transhipped in orgkorg
the French Government are charging them a Duty of Pr.7.50
(Seven Francs fifty centimes) per 100 kilos., whilst
on the Camphor transhipped in Japan the Tuty is only
Fr.6.00 (3ix Prancs) per 100 kilos..
This tax, we need hardly say, must be very
if it prejudicial to the British Colony of Hongkong, as,
is persisted in, we shall be compelled to tranship all
our cargo in Japan. You are no doubt aware that there ere
no deep-water harbours in Formosa, and the trade is
therefore carried on by small boats running between