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The trade with Roumania will derive facilities from the law of 
15/28*^ June 1903, inasmuch as not only the duties on the essential 
oil employed in the manufacture of perfumes and soaps have been 
reduced, but also the analyses previously required have now been 
abolished. On the other hand of all other essences or essence- 
containing oils the importation is only allowed if previously two 
samples weighing at most 20 grams in all have been taken from these 
articles, sealed, and submitted to the Chemical Institutes of Bucharest 
or Jassy, according to the proximity of these places, and after a 
reply has been received from these Institutes respecting the character 
of the samples, and as to whether they can be admitted in accordance 
with the sanitary law and the administrative requirements of the 
country. Such essences and essence -containing oils must not be 
analysed by the chemists at the Custom houses, but only at the 
above-mentioned Institutes, to which the samples must be submitted 
with the request for prompt analysis. Under these conditions, the 
better- class German firms will probably not enter into keen com- 
petition for the Roumanian trade. 
According to a communication contained in the "Deutsches 
Handels-Archiv", the Commercial Treaties of 1857 between the United 
Kingdom and Persia have been amended and amplified on the 
gth February 1903, in consequence of which these two countries now 
grant to each other special advantages with regard to import duties. 
The export duty on Persian products is entirely abolished. Finally, 
the system of farming out the collection of the duties will be ab- 
olished in perpetuity, and instead of this, Custom houses will be 
established on all the frontiers. The Persian Government erects ware- 
houses in which the British merchants are allowed to store the 
imported goods for 12 months without payment or dues of any kind. 
The export to the United States was very brisk, but it may 
possibly be affected to some extent towards the middle of the year 
by the approaching Presidential election. 
In the Argentine Republic trade is improving slightly after the 
not unimportant decline which the sale of our manufactures had 
suffered during the last few years. 
Our relations with all other countries show no changes worth 
mentioning. As a Customs curiosity we may state that the Austrian 
chief Custom office at Bodenbach has recently thought fit to subject 
the article anethol, a specially purified anise oil, as an „artificial per- 
fume" to a duty of 75 gold florins per 100 kilos, whilst as an 
essential oil, which it indisputably is, the duty is only 15 gold florins 
per 100 kilos. We have naturally protested vigorously against this 
arbitrary action, and if need be will follow up this matter to the 
Supreme Court of Appeal. 
