Chapter 20 of 21 · Tariff History of the United States by F.W. Taussig

Appendix, Tables

Table 1.
Imports, Duties, and Ratio of Duties to Imports, 1860–1907. (From the “Statistical Abstract.”) (00,000 omitted.)
Fiscal Year Ending June 30	Imports Free	Imports Dutiable	Imports Total	Duties Collected	Per cent. of Duties to Dutiable Imports	Per cent. of Duties to Total Imports
1860	68.4	267.9	336.3	52.7	19.67	15.67
1861	67.4	207.2	274.6	39.0	18.84	14.21
1862	49.8	128.5	178.3	46.5	36.19	26.09
1863	30.0	195.3	225.4	63.7	32.62	28.28
1864	38.2	262.9	301.1	96.5	36.69	32.03
1865	40.1	169.6	209.6	80.6	47.56	38.46
1866	57.1	366.3	423.5	177.0	48.93	41.81
1877	17.0	361.1	378.2	168.5	46.67	44.56
1888	15.1	329.7	344.8	160.5	48.63	46.49
1869	21.7	372.7	394.4	176.5	47.22	44.65
1870	20.2	406.1	426.3	191.5	47.08	42.23
1871	40.6	459.6	500.2	202.4	43.95	38.94
1872	47.7	512.7	560.4	212.6	41.35	37.00
1873	178.4	484.7	663.1	184.9	38.07	26.95
1874	151.7	415.7	567.4	160.5	38.53	26.88
1875	146.5	379.8	526.3	154.5	40.62	28.20
1876	140.6	324.0	464.6	145.2	44.74	30.19
1877	140.8	299.0	439.8	128.4	42.89	26.68
1878	141.3	297.1	438.4	127.2	42.75	27.13
1879	142.5	296.7	439.3	133.4	44.87	28.97
1880	208.0	419.5	627.5	182.7	43.48	29.07
1881	202.5	448.1	650.6	193.8	43.20	29.75
1882	210.7	505.5	716.2	216.1	42.66	30.11
1883	206.9	493.9	700.8	210.6	42.45	29.92
1884	211.3	456.3	667.6	190.3	41.61	28.44
1885	192.9	386.7	579.6	178.1	45.86	30.59
1886	211.5	413.8	625.3	189.4	45.55	30.13
1887	233.1	450.3	683.4	214.2	47.10	31.02
1888	244.1	468.1	712.2	216.0	45.63	29.99
1889	256.6	484.8	741.4	220.6	45.13	29.50
1890	266.1	507.6	773.7	226.5	44.41	29.12
1891	388.1	466.4	854.5	216.9	46.28	25.25
1892	458.1	355.5	813.6	174.1	48.71	21.26
1893	444.2	400.3	844.4	199.1	49.58	23.49
1894	379.0	257.6	636.6	129.6	50.06	20.25
1895	376.9	354.3	731.2	149.4	41.75	20.23
1896	368.9	390.8	759.7	157.0	40.18	20.67
1897	381.9	407.3	789.2	172.7	42.41	21.89
1898	291.5	295.6	587.1	145.4	48.80	24.77
1899	299.7	385.8	685.4	202.0	52.07	29.48
1900	366.8	463.8	830.5	229.4	49.24	27.62
1901	339.1	468.7	807.8	233.6	49.64	28.91
1902	396.5	503.2	899.8	251.5	49.78	27.95
1903	437.3	570.7	1,008.0	280.7	49.03	27.85
1904	454.1	527.7	981.8	258.2	48.78	26.30
1905	517.1	570.0	1,087.1	258.4	45.24	23.77
1906	548.7	664.7	1,213.4	293.9	44.16	24.22
1907	641.9	773.4	1,415.4	329.5	42.55	23.28

This table is taken from the “Statistical Abstract of the United States.” The figures given in different editions of the “Statistical Abstract” have not always been consistent. Those given in the table are from the edition of 1891 for the earlier years (1860–8), and from the editions of 1895 and 1907 for the later years. They indicate “net imports,” i.e., imports less reexports, for 1860–66; from 1867 on, they indicate “imports for consumption.” Substantially, these two forms of statement come to nearly the same thing. The significant changes will be easily noted. The sharp rise in the average rate (per cent. of duties to imports) between 1861 and 1865 shows the extent to which the legislation of the war affected the general character of the tariff system. The average rate on dutiable articles, after reaching its war maximum in 1866, declines somewhat for a few years thereafter. From 1872 to 1875, there is a further fall, in consequence of the ten per cent. reduction of 1872; after 1875 the rate goes up again, and then remains fairly steady until 1883. The act of 1883 brings a distinct rise in the average rate on dutiable articles; the act of 1890 a still further rise, bringing in 1894 the maximum for the whole period (50.06 per cent.). The abrupt increase in the free imports in 1873 is the result of the abolition of the tea and coffee duties in 1872, which causes also the fall in the average per cent. of the duties collected as compared with the total imports. The abolition of the sugar duty in 1890 brings a similar abrupt increase of the free imports in 1891 and 1892, and a similar fall in the ratio of duties collected to total imports. The act of 1894 brings a distinct lowering of the average rate of duty; that of 1897 raises the average to the figures that had prevailed under the acts of 1883 and 1890.

Table 2.
Duties on Some Important Articles, Raised during the War, and Retained without Reduction till 1883.
Articles	Duty under the Morrill Tariff of 1861.	Duty of 1864, in Force in 1883.
Books	15%	25%
Chinaware, plain	30%	45%
Cotton goods, not otherwise provided for	30%	35%
Cottons, coarse, unbleached	1 ct. per yard.	5 cts. per yard.
Cotton spool-thread	30%	6 cts. per dozen, plus 30% (= 60 to70%)
Cottons, fine printed	4½ cts. per square yard plus 10%	5½ cts. per square yard plus 20%
Manufactures of flax, jute, or hemp, not otherwise provided for	30%	40%
Glass, common window	1 to 1½ cts. per square foot	¾ to 4 cts. per square foot.
Gloves, of kid or leather	30%	50%
Bar-iron*	¾ ct. per ton	1 to 1½ cts. per lb.
Iron rails	$12 per ton	$14 per ton
Steel, in ingots, bars, etc.	1½ to 2 cts. per lb.	2 ¼ to 3½ cts. per lb.
Pig lead	1 ct. per lb.	2 cts. per lb.
Paper	30%	35%
Silks	30%	60%
* On all forms of bar-iron, band-, hoop-, and boiler-iron, on chains, anchors, nails and spikes, pipes, etc., etc., the duties of 1864 were in force till 1883.

Table 3.
Revenue from Customs Duties and Internal Revenue, 1861–1907. (00,000 omitted.)
Year	Internal Revenue	Customs Revenue
1861	None.	39.6
1862	None.	49.1
1863	37.6	69.1
1864	109.7	102.3
1865	209.5	84.9
1866	309.2	179.0
1867	266.0	176.4
1868	191.1	164.5
1869	158.4	180.0
1870	184.9	194.5
1871	143.1	206.3
1872	130.6	216.4
1873	113.7	188.1
1874	102.4	163.1
1875	110.0	157.2
1876	116.7	148.1
1877	118.6	131.0
1878	110.6	130.2
1879	113.6	137.2
1880	124.0	186.5
1881	135.3	198.2
1882	146.5	220.4
1883	144.7	214.7
1884	121.6	195.1
1885	112.5	181.5
1886	116.8	192.9
1887	118.8	217.3
1888	124.3	219.1
1889	130.9	223.8
1890	142.6	229.7
1891	145.7	219.5
1892	154.0	177.5
1893	116.0	203.4
1894	147.1	131.8
1895	143.4	152.2
1896	146.8	160.0
1897	146.7	176.6
1898	170.9	149.6
1899	273.4	206.1
1900	295.3	233.2
1901	307.2	238.6
1902	271.9	254.4
1903	230.8	284.5
1904	232.9	261.3
1905	234.1	261.8
1906	249.1	300.2
1907	269.7	332.2

Table 4.
Production, Imports, and Exports of Copper, and Foreign and Domestic Prices (Quantities in gross tons.)
Year	Domestic Production	Imports Copper in Pigs	Imports Copper Ore	Exports	Price per lb. in cts. New York Lake Copper	Price per lb. in cts. London Chili Bars	Difference in Price
1875	18,000	415	2,300	2,280	23.0	18.0	5.0
1876	19,000	777	910	6,430	21.5	16.5	5.0
1877	21,000	750	15	6,050	19.0	14.6	4.4
1878	21,500	165	399	5,040	16.5	13.5	3.0
1879	23,000	70	100	7,680	17.5	12.2	5.3
1880	27,000	2,350	2,000	1,880	20.0	13.5	6.5
1881	32,000	320	4,420	2,160	18.5	13.3	5.2
1882	41,000	334	8,190	1,490	18.7	14.4	4.3
1883	52,000	148	500^*	3,890	16.1	13.7	2.4
1884	63,500	65	980	7,610	13.7	11.8	1.9
1885	74,000	35	1,630	19,900	11	9.5	1.5
1886	70,000	18	1,840	10,850	11	8.8	2.2
^* Beginning with 1883, this column states the quantity of copper contained in imported ore, not the gross amount of ore. The 8,190 tons of ore imported in 1882 contained about 600 tons of copper.

Figures are from “Mineral Resources of the United States,” pp. 214, et seq. The production is for the calendar year, the imports and exports for the fiscal year (ending June 30th). The annual average prices are from the monthly prices given in “Mineral Resources.” The figures given in “Mineral Resources” seem to contain considerable understatements, so far as exports are concerned. See Eng. and Min. Journal, Jan. 26, 1884, p. 59.

These tables show the price in New York to have been higher than that in London by from 1½ to 5½ cents. In recent years the great increase in domestic production has forced down the price here, and the difference in price is not more than 1½ cents. The better quality of domestic Lake copper would cause it to bring 1½ cents more than Chili bars under any circumstances. Cost of transportation (from London to Now York) is insignificant. It is safe to say that any difference in price over and above 1½ cents per pound could not exist if it were not for the duty on copper.

Table 5.
Production, Imports, and Foreign and Domestic Prices of Steel Rails.
Year.	Product in U.S., Gross Tons.	Imports, Gross Tons.	Average Price in U.S.	Average Price in England.	Average Excess of American Price.	Duty.
1871	34,100	505,500	$91.70	$57.70	$34.00	$28.00
1872	84,000	474,000	$99.70	$67.30	$32.40	$25.20
						Aug. ’72
1873	115,200	231,000	$95.90	$74.40	$21.50	$25.20
1874	129,400	96,700	$84.70	$57.50	$27.20	$25.20
						Mar. ’75
1875	259,700	17,400	$59.70	$44.10	$15.60	$28.00
						Mar. ’75
1876	368,300	…	$53.10	$37.70	$15.40	$28.00
1877	385,900	…	$43.50	$31.90	$11.60	$28.00
1878	499,800	…	$41.70	$27.20	$14.50	$28.00
1879	618,800	39,400	$48.20	$24.70	$23.50	$28.00
1880	864,300	259,500	$67.50	$36.00	$31.50	$28.00
1881	1,210,300	344,900	$61.10	$31.20	$29.90	$28.00
1882	1,304,400	200,000	$48.50	$30.00	$18.50	$28.00
						July ’83
1883	1,156,900	34,800	$37.75	$25.40	$12.35	$17.00
						July ’83
1884	999,400	2,800	$30.75	$22.90	$7.85	$17.00
1885	963,700	2,200	$28.50	$23.65	$4.85	$17.00
1886	1,579,400	41,600	$34.50	$20.65	$13.85	$17.00
1887	2,119,000	137,800	$37.10	$20.65	$16.45	$17.00
1888	1,391,000	63,000	$29.80	$19.20	$10.60	$17.00
1889	1,531,000	6,200	$29.25	$24.15	$5.10	$17.00
						Oct. ’90
1890	1,871,400	…	$31.75	$27.30	$4.45	$13.44
						Oct. ’90
1891	1,298,900	…	$30.00	$22.00	$8.00	$13.44
1892	1,541,400	…	$30.00	$20.00	$10.00	$13.44
1893	1,130,400	2,900	$28.00	$18.50	$9.50	$13.44
						Aug. ’94
1894	1,017,100	…	$24.00	$17.50	$6.50	$7.84
						Aug. ’94
1895	1,300,300	1,400	$24.00	$20.00	$4.00	$7.84
1896	1,117,600	7,800	$28.00	$21.00	$7.00	$7.84
1897	1,630,000	…	$19.60	$21.00	–$1.40	$7.84
1898	1,977,900	…	$17.60	$23.50	$5.90	$7.84
1899	2,271,100	2,000	$28.10	$26.80	$1.30	$7.84
1900	2,385,000	1,500	$32.30	$36.00	–$3.70	$7.84
1901	2,872,900	1,900	$27.30	$29.50	–$2.20	$7.84
1902	2,941,300	63,500	$28.00	$27.40	$0.60	$7.84
1903	2,991,800	95,500	$28.00	$28.00	$0.00	$7.84
1904	2,283,800	37,700	$28.00	$22.50	$5.50	$7.84
1905	3,375,600	17,300	$28.00	$28.80	–$0.80	$7.84
1906	3,977,800	5,000	$28.00	$31.20	–$3.20	$7.84
1907	3,632,700	4,000	$28.00	$32.00	–$4.00	$7.84
1908	1,921,500	1,700	$28.00	$29.10	–$1.10	$7.84
						Aug. ’09

The figures for production and importation are from the Reports of the American Iron and Steel Association. The American prices are from the same source, but have been reduced to a gold basis for the years 1871–78. The English prices have been secured partly from occasional tables given in the Iron and Steel Association reports, partly from English sources. The American prices are those for rails at the mills, in Pennsylvania; the English are for rails free on board. Prices by yearly averages can indicate only the general fluctuations; but they suffice for purposes of comparison. Where the imports are less than 1000 tons in any one year, they have been omitted. Since 1888 the imports have been sporadic, and signify little.

Cost of transportation from England to the United States has been usually somewhere between two and four dollars a ton. But sometimes it has been considerably less than two dollars; and carriage by water from England to places on the seashore in the United States has not infrequently been cheaper than carriage by land from the American rail-mills to such places.

It will be observed that there were three periods of active railway building and of heavy imports of rails: 1871–74, 1879–82, 1886–88. During these years or parts of them, prices of rails in the United States were higher than those in England by the full amount of the duty for the time being. In most other years they were higher, but by an amount less than the duty, and imports ceased, except for sporadic shipments of special sizes or kinds. In the later years, the American prices came nearer and nearer the English prices. In 1897, prices fell abruptly in the first two months of the year, in consequence of a “steel-rail war,” marking the breaking up of the combination which had so long kept prices up. After that year, prices were no higher in the United States than in England. Exports were considerable, much exceeding the imports.

Tariff History of the United States

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