Full Text of Treaty Agreed Upon at Washington by the Nine Powers Washington, Feb. 4.
The following is the text of the! treaty relative to the Chinese tariff and cognate matters resolved upon at the Washington Conference:
The United States of America, Belgium, British Empire, China, France, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands and Portugal:
With a view to increasing the revenues of the Chinese Government, have resolved to conclude a treaty relating to the revision of the Chinese Customs tariff and cognate matters, and to that end have appointed plenipotentiaries, who, having communicated to each other their full powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed as follows:
Art, I.—Errective 5 Per Cent.
With a view to providing additional revenue to meet the needs of the Chinese Government, the Powers represented at this conference, agree:
That the Customs schedule of duties on imports into China, adopted by the Tariff Revision Commission at Shanghai on Decem-article I of the supplementary treaty of October 8, 1903, between Japan and China, with a view to levying the surtaxes provided for these articles.
The special conference shall be composed of representatives of the signatory Powers, and of such other powers as may desire to participate and may adhere to the present treaty, in accord with the provisions of Article VIII, in sufficient time to allow their representatives to take part. It shall meet in China within three months after the coming into force of the present treaty on a day and at a place to be designated by the Chinese Government.
Arr. IJ].—Tue Svrrax.
The special conference provided for in Article IT shall consider the interim provisions to be applied prior to the abolition of likin and the fulfilment of the other conditions laid down in the articles of the treaties mentioned in Article LI; and it shall authorize the levying of a surtax on dutiable impens as from such date, for such purposes and subject to such conditions as it may determine.
The surtax shall be at a uniform rate of 2} per centum ad valorem, provided that in case of certain articles of luxury which, in the opinion of the special. conference, can bear a greater increase without unduly impending trade, the total ber 19, 1918, shall forthwith be re-surtax may be increased, but may vised so that rates of duty shall not exceed 5 centum ad per be equivalent to 5 per cent. effec-valorem. tive, as provided for in the several commercial treaties to which China Arr. IV.—FcrtHer Revision. is a party.
Following the immediate revision A revision commission shall meet of the Customs schedule of duties at Shanghai, at the earliest prac-jon imports into China, mentioned ticable date, to effect this revision'in Article I, there shall be a fur-forthwith and on the general lines ther revision thereof, to take effect of the Jast revision. lat the expiration of four years This commission shall be com-following the completion of the posed of representatives of the aforesaid immediate revision, in Powers above named and of repre-order to insure that the customs sentatives of any additional powers, duties shall correspond to the ad having Governments at present re- valorem rates fixed by the special cognized by the powers represented conference provided in Article LI. at this conference and who have! Following this further revision treaties with China, providing for there shall be, for the same pur-_ tariff on imports and exports not'pose, periodical revisions of ths to exceed 5 per cent. ad valorem Customs schedule of duties of imand who desire to participate therein.
The revision shall proceed as rapidly as possible, with a view to its completion within four months from the date of the adoption of this resolution by the Conference on the Limitation of Armaments and Pacific and Far Eastern Questions.
The revised tariff shall become effective as soon as possible, but not earlier than two months after its publication by the Revisioa; Commission. ports into China every seven years, in lieu of the decennial revision authorized by existing treaties with China.
In order to prevent delay, any revision made in pursuance of this article shall be effected in accord with rules to be prescribed by the special conference provided for in Article LI.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.