MEXICO. 



553 



States is larger than with all other countries 

 together ; the exports of that State, however, 

 seldom exceed $750,000, and the imports are 

 rarely over $500,000. 



The general desire of the manufacturing 

 community of the United States to extend com- 

 mercial relations between the two countries 

 found expression last year in the organization 

 at Chicago of a commission under the title of 

 the " Manufacturers' Association of the North- 

 west," for the purpose of visiting Mexico with 

 a view " to do some business with the citizens 

 of that republic, as Chicago produces many 

 articles consumad there." A reception was 

 tendered to Sr. Zamacona, to which Minister 

 Foster was invited ; but the latter, unable to 

 attend, forwarded through the State Depart- 

 ment at Washington an elaborate commimica- 

 tion containing his views on the present condi- 

 tion, possibilities, and requirements of Mexico, 

 and what he regarded as grave impediments to 

 the attainment of the object in view. While 



, , , . , ,, J , , , T 



many of the hindrances that he enumerated are 



more decidedly so for the United States than 

 for other c. .untries, the majority of them are 

 equally felt elsewhere as here ; and w ith the 

 abolition of long credits and a high tariff in Mex- 

 ico, and the establishment of overland steam 

 communication between the capital of the re- 



public and the United states, the scale would 



be sensibly turned in favor of the latter. u The 



system of long credits in universal practice 



here," says Mr. Foster, "is a serious impedi- 

 nent to the establishment of an extensive trade 



.,, -., ,.- , , . ,, ,, 



With Mexico. Merchants Coining from the 



interior to the capital always buy on credit, 

 which is usually fixed at eight months, with no 

 interest added, and often runs to ten or twelve 

 months. It is not so serious an objection to 



,, ^ , s 



the German importer, who has good connec- 



tions and Credit in Europe, where he Can Com- 



mand unlimited capital at very low rates of 

 interest and long time; but to the American 

 merchant who must conform to the shorter 

 credits and higher rates of interest prevailing 

 in the United States, it will be found a serious 

 objection. There is also an inconvenience aris- 

 ing from the want of the free transportation of 

 money from the interior to this city. The cur- 

 rency, being entirely silver, is bulky, and, ow- 

 ing to the insecurity of the roads, can only be 



safely sent in the conductas or large trains e s - 



corted by strong guards of Federal poldiers. 

 And as thess conductas only come from Zacate- 

 cas and intermediate cities every three or five 

 months, the merchants must await their arrival 

 to receive remittances." The exorbitant du- 

 ties laid on many commodities, especially man- 



utactured goods, are prohibitory in the fullest 



sense of the word ; a circumstance all the more 

 astonishing, as Mexico is, at least at present, by 

 no means in a position to manufacture success- 

 fully, spite of certain natural advantages,* its 

 facilities and advantages being mainly of a na- 

 _ _ _ _ _ 



* See " Annual Cyclopedia" for 1876, p. 543, first column. 



ture to favor mining and tropical agriculture. 

 Some idea of the difficulties which intending 

 exporters to Mexico have to contend with in 

 this direction may be gathered from the fol- 

 lowing list of articles selected by Minister Fos- 

 ter from the Mexican arancel (tariff) as being 

 among those which American merchants and 

 manufacturers would be most likely to seek to 

 introduce into that republic : 



MEXICAN TARIFF DUTIES. 



ARTICLES. Rates. 



Calicoes, square metre 14 



Thread, white, kilo 60 



'" colored, kilo 96 



" spool, dozen 014 



Cassimeres and similar woolen goods, square metre. . 1 40 



Buggies', each. . . . .' '....'.' .'.'!!!."!!.'!!!.". 182 00 



Sulkies, each 66 00 



Wagons, each 80 00 



Harness, for carriages, kilo, gross weight 2 00 



Harness, for wagons, kilo, gross weight 86 



Furniture, 55 per cent, on Invoice and 25 per cent, ad- 

 ditionaj. 



Pianos, kilo, gross weight 43 



Flour, kilo, net weight 10 



Whe't, " " " 04 



Barley, '* " " 03 



Kice, " " " 07 



Hops, 4t " '* 18 



Hams, smoked, kilo, net weight 24 



Meats, salt and smoked, kilo, net weight 24 



Lar.1, kilo, net weight IS 



Butter, " " ' 24 



Cheese, " " " 14 



Candles, tallow, kilo, gross weight 08 



" stearine, " u u 19 



" paraffine," " " 088 



Crackers, kilo, gross weight 12 



Canned fruit, cans included, kilo, net weight 50 



Canned m?ats and fish, cans included, kilo, net weight. 72 



Pickles, jars included, kilo, net weight 48 



Glass, common, " " " 17 



Gunpowder, " " " 200 



Nails of all kinds, iron, kilo, gross weight 12 



Tools, iron, steel, or wood, " " " 19 



Clothing, ready made, all kinds, per cent 1 82 



r, kilo, gross weight 1 43 



shoes, etc , ' " " 43 



cloth, for tables, ki'o. gross weight 29 



.'".'"I!.".'.!'. 1650 



calf or morocco, dozen 27 00 



" shoes, common, men's, dozen 7 00 



" ' fine, men's, dozen 1650 



u tl 4i women's, dozen 17 00 



" " common, women's, dozen 550 



Carpets, two- and three-ply, square metre 80 



" velvet, square metre 140 



Cocoa matting, kilo, gross weight 016 



Vinegar, barrels, kilo, net weight 05 



" bottles, " ' " 010 



Whisky, barrels, " " " 33 



' bottles, || || II 038 



^'botK " " " !.'!!.'!!.'";!.'!.'!!.". 020 



Petroleum (cans included), kilo, net weight , 09 



Eosin, kilo, gross weight 25 



sS, " " " '.".'.";;'.!!!"."'.'.'.'.;;;.'" 005 



gross weight 02 



" " . 02 



" But when this tariff is paid, the costs and 

 charges only commence. Formerly the Feder- 

 al Government had four or five additional^du- 

 ties, but these have all been consolidated into 

 the tariff (which is one cause of it's high rate), 

 and one other duty paid to the custom-house 



