FoKEKiX TRADE. 207 



In consequence of the sparse population of Eastern Siberia and tlie inadequacy of its 

 communications, on the one hand, and witli the object, on the other, of affording new settlers 

 certain privileges for getting necessary provisions and implements of labour, it was thought 

 best from the very beginning of the annexation of the Amour territory to authorize free for- 

 eign trade in the Kamchatka region (1855), and in the ports of the Amour region and the 

 Island of Saghalin (1857). It was at the same time declared that foreign goods might enter 

 free of duty in Russian vessels, and ascend the Amour without any restriction. Foreign 

 vessels on the other hand were not permitted to navigate the Amour higher than the Mariinsk 

 Post, even under the Russian flag. It was soon thought advisable to extend the right to free 

 trade in foreign goods granted to the Amour region to all the ports of the Littoral territory 

 of Eastern Siberia, which was done in 1860. 



On the review in 1862 of the statute on the organization of the customs office in 

 Eastern Siberia it was defined that European and Colonial goods forwarded through the ports 

 of the Littoral and Amour territories on arriving at the Irkutsk customshouse are subject to 

 the payment of customs duties on the basis of the general customs tarilf on European trade. 

 From goods however despatched by the route mentioned, and intended for consumption within 

 the limits of the said territories, customs duties as before were not exacted. Subsequently 

 certain exceptions were admitted in this respect, and from 1867 the import of intoxicants was 

 made dutiable, and from 1887 tobacco goods were also brought under this exception. Next, 

 on nearer acquaintance with the position of the home trade of Eastern Siberia and in the 

 interests of the normal development of the national industry, it was found necessary to impose 

 customs duties upon all imported foreign goods which are subject to excise within the country. 

 This measure was called into existence among other things by the abnormal direction taken 

 by our export trade. Goods subject to excise and destined for export from European Russia 

 into Eastern Siberia were declared as exported abroad, the exporter receiving in the shape of 

 drawback the whole of the excise paid by him and in some cases a premium on the export. 

 These goods were then imported as foreign into the ports of the Littoral. Thus in order to 

 obtain the premium on sugar it was necessary to forward it first to some foreign point, for 

 example Port Said, and then import it as foreign into Vladivostok. Something of the same 

 kind took place in the tobacco trade. Hamburg traders taking advantage of the circumstance 

 that Russian tobacco goods on shipment abroad do not bear any internal excise began to order 

 them in St. Petersburg and despatch them to Vladivostok as German productions. If these goods 

 were forwarded direct from the interior governments of the Empire to Vladivostok without 

 banderole they had to pay export in that port. Approximately the same thing took place in 

 reference to other goods, such as petroleum illuminants, matches, et cetera. Thus Russian pro- 

 ductions in the Russian ports of the Pacific Ocean were in a depressed state, which of course 

 could not be regarded as normal or desirable. To regulate the trade, and at the same time 

 preserve to Eastern Siberia its privileged position, as regards the duty free enjoyment of for- 

 eign productions, from 1888 the ports of the Eastern strip of Siberia were opened for 

 the duty free importation of all goods with the exception of the following: sugar, molasses, 

 confectionery, jam, fruit in syrup, in liqueurs et cetera, arrack, rum, French brandy, spirituous 

 liquors imported in bottles, gin, whiskey, wines made from grapes, mead, porter, mineral 



