CO129-367 - Acting Governor May - 1910 [6-7] — Page 18

OP Y.

16

Hongkong, 27th. May, 1910.

20713

Hon. Mr. A. M. Thomson,

Acting Colonial Secretary.

RECO

Reo? 7 JUL 10

sir,

In view of the expiration next year of the Treaty of Commerce of 1894 between Great Britain and Japan,

we understand that copies of proposed changes in the General Import Tariff have been sent by the Japanese Government to the British Government for approval, and they will doubtless be the subject of consideration during the

next few months.

*

Under the existing Treat of Commerce the ad valorem Duties upon Refined Sugar entering Japan from Great Britain or her Dependencies were, by special agree- -ment made in 1894, converted into specific duties on the basis of the medium of prices ruling in Japan for the six months previous to the date of the Protocol, and under this Conventional Tariff the Sugars of the Hongkong Refineries have been subject to the following Import Duties riz.:-

Kin, and above Sugar under D.5. 20 74 sen per 1, D.S. 20 - 82.7 sen per 100 Kin. Before this Conventional Tariff came into force the greater part of the Refined Sugar consumed in Japan was supplied by the Hongkong Refineries, but the protection afforded by the Tariff to the Japanese has enabled them to capture practically the whole of this important business; and not only so, they have been able to "dump" their surplus production on the China market, to the great detriment of the trade of

the Hongkong Factories.

but

We are not aware how far the discussion of

a new Treaty of Commerce between Great Britain and japan may have advanced, but it is of vital importance to the Refineries under our management that our Sugars should not,

on

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