Exports of Asunción, first half of 1903 and 1904-Continued. The trade of Paraguay with the United States in 1902, 1903, and 1904 is represented by the following figures: The following are the countries which market goods in Paraguay: Germany, Argentine Republic, Brazil, Chile, Spain, France, England, Italy, India, the United States, Uruguay, the Netherlands, Cuba, and, on a small scale, China, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, and Norway. Business is chiefly conducted by local salesmen, who canvass the trade on a commission basis; also, in some cases, by traveling agents. The general terms of credit are six months, and in a number of cases the merchants have a contra account-that is, the dealer in Asunción sends goods to the merchant in other parts of the country with whom he deals, and these accounts are settled annually. There are no credit agencies here, and credits are generally arranged by the commissioners or through banks, who report the financial standing of individuals as well as that of companies and firms. GENERAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN 1903. The report made by the British Consul at Asunción concerning the general conditions prevailing in the Republic of Paraguay throughout 1903 states that the scarcity of gold and the fluctuations of exchange continued throughout the year to the detriment to the commerce of the Republic, but that the country itself showed signs of progress. Land in all parts of the Republic increased in value, and there was a decided advance in imports and exports. The gold quotations for 1903 opened at 1050 and closed at 875. During the year under review the value of the imports was £710,365, as against £466,459 in 1902, showing an increase of £243,906. British merchants maintained their position in the lead as importers, the following valuations covering the merchandise received from abroad during the year: United Kingdom, £227,809; Germany, £103,557; Argentine Republic, £84,231; France, £65,798; Italy, £53,893; Spain, £37,334; United States, £24,501; Belgium, £6,089; Brazil, £5,521; Uruguay, £3,415; other countries, £98,217. The British imports in 1902 amounted in value to £172,778, thus showing an increase of £55,031 for the later period. The following table shows the articles imported and their respective valuations during the year in reference: The leading articles received from Great Britain were cottons, ironmongery, drugs, merceries, and firearms. The total value of Paraguayan exports in 1903 amounted to £850,730, as against £778,132 in the preceding year, thus showing an increase of £72,598. The values mentioned may be classified as follows: PERU. TARIFF MODIFICATIONS. Extract from law of February 22, 1904, relating to the tobacco duties. ["El Peruano," No. 56, of March 12, 1904.] ART. 3. Pending the establishment of the regie, tobacco shall be subject to the following taxes: 1. In addition to the import duties fixed by article 1 of the law dated January 14, 1899, and in the customs tariff, there shall be levied in the whole of the Republic a consumption duty on tobacco of every description and origin. 2. The rate of this tax is as follows: Tobacco from Mexico or Central and Southern America. ..do.... 3.50 ..kilog.. 4.00 .kilo, net.. 4.00 ..do.... 4. 80 For manufactured tobacco. Tobacco of foreign origin, other than chewing tobacco or in powder ..kilo, net.. 5.00 Chewing tobacco or in powder of foreign origin ..do.... 4.00 Tobacco from Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay remains subject to the stipulations of existing international treaties. 3. For the purposes of the collection, unmanufactured tobacco must be held to mean tobacco solely prepared for sale in leaves, carrots (guaña), packets, or under any other form not otherwise worked up, and by manufactured tobacco that which is specially worked up for. consumption in the shape of cigars, cigarettes, chopped or cut tobacco, tobacco cakes, and snuff. 4. Unmanufactured tobacco may be warehoused during three years. in bonded stores of the State, but shall on removal be liable as from the ninth month to 25 centavos per 100 kilograms or fraction thereof not under 50 kilograms. The storage shall be payable for every full month, and shall be calculated from the 1st of the month following the date when the tobacco entered the warehouse, every month commenced being considered as an expired month. 5. The depositors shall be liable to the payment of duty on the warehoused tobacco, allowance being made for natural waste the amount of which shall be determined in regulations affecting the matter. The holder shall be responsible for any quantities of warehoused tobacco found to be short, if exceeding the natural waste admitted by the regulations. 6. The tax on unmanufactured tobacco shall be payable either within the periods mentioned in section 4 or on the same entering the localities of consumption, at the option of the interested person. 7. The duty applicable to manufactured tobacco imported from abroad shall be paid immediately after clearance through sea or river custom-houses, the entry thereof overland being prohibited. 8. Payment of the duty shall be effected in exchange for printed certificates of payment under the seal of the issuing office and bearing the signature of the collector. 9. Tobacco which shall not be removed from the revenue stores within the time limits fixed in section 4 shall be deemed to be abandoned by the owners. After three notices in writing have been served within sixty days, such tobacco shall be sold by auction in accordance with the formalities laid down in the regulations on the subject. The balance of the proceeds of the sale, if any, shall be remitted to the interested person, the warehouse certificate shall be canceled, the responsibility of the revenue being covered. 10. Unmanufactured native tobacco exported direct from the places of production or any other locality, and also foreign tobacco, manufactured or not, returned or transshipped to a foreign country is free from the consumption tax if proved within one hundred and sixty days to have been cleared through a foreign custom-house. The revenue office may require a guarantee for the amount of the tax. 11. Save in regard to powdered tobacco or snuff to which the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply, the exporter of manufactured tobacco shall receive the refund of the whole or part of the duty paid, provided that within one hundred and sixty days proof is furnished that the tobacco has been cleared through a foreign custom-house. This refund shall be effected in the following manner: On native or foreign tobacco cut for cigarettes.... Soles. ..kilo, net.. 1.50 ..do.... 3.00 12. Unmanufactured tobacco transported from one place to another in the Republic, whatever be its origin and the distance it has to travel, and also export tobacco, must be accompanied by a special pass from the revenue office, which shall be issued free. 13. Native or foreign manufactured tobacco shall be provided with special marks of control, which shall be furnished by the revenue |