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WASHINGTON CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS

TREATY ON THE CHINESE TARIFF

The treaty relative to the Chinese Tariff and cognate matters reads:- The United States of America, Belgium, the British Empire, China, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal:

With a view to increasing the revenues of the Chinese Government have resolved to conclude a treaty relating to the revision of the Chinese Customs Tariff and cognate matters, and to that end have appointed as their plenipotentiaries (Here follows the names of the plenipotentiaries), who, having communicated to each other their full powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed as follows:-

ARTICLE I.

The representatives of the contracting Powers having adopted, on the 4th day of February, 1922, in the City of Washington, a resolution, which is appended as an annex to this article, with respect to the revision of Chinese customs duties for the purpose of making such duties equivalent to an effective 5 per cent., ad valorem, in accordance with existing treaties concluded by China with other nations, the con- tracting Powers hereby confirm the said resolution and undertake to accept the tariff rates fixed as a result of such revision. The said tariff rates shall become effective as soon as possible, but not earlier than two months after publication thereof.

ANNEX

With a view to providing additional revenue to meet the needs of the Chinese Government, the Powers represented at this Conference, namely, the United States of America, Belgium, the British Empire, China, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal, agree:

That the Customs schedule of duties on imports into China, adopted by the Tariff Revision Commission at Shanghai on December 19th, 1918, shall forthwith be revised so that rates of duty shall be equivalent to 5 per cent. effective, as provided for in the several commercial treaties to which China is a party.

A Revision Commission shall meet at Shanghai at the earliest practicable date to effect this revision forthwith and on the general lines of the last revision.

This Commission shall be composed of representatives of the Powers above named and of representatives of any additional Powers, having governments at present recognized by the Powers represented at this Conference and who have treaties with China providing for a tariff on imports and exports not to exceed 5 per cent. ad valorem and who desire to participate therein.

The revision shall proceed as rapidly as possible with a view to its completion within four months from the date of the adoption of this resolution by the Con- ference on the Limitation of Armaments and Pacific and Far Eastern Questions.

The revised tariff shall become effective as soon as possible, but not earlier than two months after its publication by the Revision Commission.

The Government of the United States, as convener of the present Conference, is requested forthwith to communicate the terms of this resolution to the Governments of Powers not represented at this Conference but who participated in the revision of 1918 aforesaid.

ARTICLE II.

Immediate steps shall be taken through a special conference to prepare the way for the speedy abolition of likin and for the fulfilment of the other conditions laid down in Article VIII. of the treaty of September 5th, 1902, between Great Britain and China; in Article IV. and V. of the treaty of October 8th, 1903, between the United States and China; and in Article I. of the supplementary treaty of October 8th, 1903, between Japan and China, with a view to levying the surtaxes provided for in these Articles.