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UNITED STATES-PHILIPPINE TARIFF AND TRADE

RELATIONS

INTRODUCTION

This report briefly summarizes tariff and trade relations between the United States and the Philippines from the time of American occupation of the islands in 1898 until recent years. Tables have been used frequently rather than discussion because of the relatively long periods included in presenting various aspects of the subject. Part I deals principally with the tariff relationship; Part II, with comparative trade and tariff advantages; and Part III, more generally with trade movements in both directions and related data. several appendices give supplementary information.

Part I

The

VARIOUS PHASES OF UNITED STATES-PHILIPPINE TARIFF RELATIONS

THE TARIFF STATUS ON BOTH SIDES, 1898-1930

United States-Philippine Tariff Relations, 1898–1902.

During the initial period of American occupation of the Philippines from August 13, 1898,1 to March 8, 1902, import duties 2 in the United States on Philippine products, import duties in the Philippines on goods from the United States,3 and export duties on Philippine products shipped to the United States were levied as though the relationship between the islands and the United States were that of one foreign country to another. During this first phase of American tariff policy in the Philippines no tariff reductions or preferences were accorded to products of the islands entering the United States, and American goods entering the Philippines received the same tariff treatment as similar goods from all other countries.5

1 The city of Manila, which was the most important political and administrative center, was occupied by American land forces on this date.

2 For convenient reference, the terms "importation" and "exportation" are often used in this report in discussions of the trade movement between the Philippines and the United States. These terms are not strictly accurate, as the Philippines are not "foreign" territory.

Supplies and materials for the use of the U. S. Army and Navy and for the insular government were admitted duty free into the Philippines from any source from the beginning of the American occupation to Aug. 5, 1909. (Pars. 23 and 363, tariff and regulations, accompanying the Executive order issued in Washington, D. C., July 12, 1898, and corresponding provisions in succeeding United States military decrees; par. 385, Philippine tariff of Sept. 17, 1901; and par. 385, congressional Philippine tariff acts of Mar. 8, 1902, and Mar. 3, 1905.) Since Aug. 6, 1909, such supplies, unless imported from the United States or its possessions, have been subject to the general Philippine tariff.

The Manila customhouse actually was opened Aug. 20, 1898, under United States military occupation of the Philippines, but until Nov. 10, 1898, Spanish goods ordered or purchased before the Spanish-American War were accorded such preferences as they had enjoyed under the Spanish colonial tariff system in the Philippines.

The collection of Philippine import duties on goods from the United States and of export duties on Philippine products shipped to the United States prior to Mar. 8, 1902, was legalized under the act of Congress of June 30, 1906.

Second Phase of United States-Philippine Tariff Relations.

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In the act of March 8, 1902, Congress passed its first tariff legislation respecting the Philippines. Philippine products not already on the general free list of the United States tariff act of 1897 were granted a preferential reduction of 25 per cent from the rates of that tariff. Products of the United States entering the Philippines were made subject to the general Philippine import duties. The same act provided that no export duties were to be levied in the Philippines on products of the islands going directly to the United States for use and consumption therein, if such products were on the general free list of the United States tariff; and provided further that any export duties collected in the islands on shipments to the United States which were dutiable therein must be deducted from the American import duties, and that all import duties collected in the United States on Philippine products must be paid into the treasury of the Philippine Islands."

8

The act of March 8, 1902, also postponed the application of the United States coastwise shipping laws to the Philippines, and these laws have in fact never been extended to the Philippines. This means that whereas only American flag vessels may trade between ports of continental United States, or between them and other outİying possessions, foreign vessels may trade between the United States and the Philippines.

This second phase of American tariff policy regarding the Philippines (from March 8, 1902, to August 5, 1909) was therefore characterized by tariff preferences in favor of Philippine products entering the United States, and by the continuation and conclusion of the policy by virtue of which American and non-American goods alike received the same tariff treatment in the Philippine Islands. Beginning of United States-Philippine Duty-Free Trade Relations.

The first arrangement establishing Philippine-United States dutyfree trade, beginning August 5, 1909, limited the annual quantities of Philippine sugar and tobacco products admissible duty free into the United States; limited the permissible content of materials originating in foreign countries and embodied in Philippine products admissible duty free into the United States to 20 per cent of their value; conditioned duty-free trade in both directions upon nonallowance of drawback upon the articles affected; and abolished all Philippine export duties upon shipments to the United States. With the exceptions just noted in regard to rice 10 and nonallowance of drawback, the act of August 5, 1909, likewise granted unlimited duty-free entry of American products into the Philippines. Duty-free entry in both directions was conditioned upon direct shipment of the products in question.

All the United States tariff acts, beginning with that of August 5, 1909, provide "That in consideration of the exemptions aforesaid, all

In Art. IV of the treaty of peace with Spain the United States agreed to "admit Spanish ships and merchandise to the ports of the Philippine Islands on the same terms as ships and merchandise of the United States" for a term of 10 years from Apr. 11, 1899.

7 Ever since the inauguration of duty-free trade in 1909, all import duties collected in the United States on such Philippine goods as were not entitled to duty-free entry have been currently paid over to the Philippine treasury for the benefit of the insular government, under authority of the act of Mar. 8, 1902. (See Table 36.)

8 Authority for extension of the coastwise laws to the Philippines by Executive action under certain conditions still exists under sec. 21 of the merchant marine act of June 5, 1920.

Except for rice, which continued to be dutiable on both sides. (Sec. 5 of the United States tariff act of 1909, and sec. 12 of the Philippine tariff act of 1909.)

10 Ibid.

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