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538
viii. commerce.
duty is 11 öre per kg (from 1916 it is to be lO1/^, and from 1918 10 ore),
corresponding to 37 % of the value, and for margarine 15 ore, or 15 % of the
value.
As regards general industries, the most important duties are those on textiles.
These are, however, so numerous, that it is impossible to enumerate the different
rates. The ad valorem duty on different kinds of yarns, however, may be
estimated at about 7 %; on silk fabrics it is 14 %, on cotton fabrics 18 % and
on woolen fabrics 20 %. The duty on boots and shoes is 6 kronor per kg; as
the boots and shoes imported are of the more expensive sorts, this only represents
25 % of the value; this figure, however, includes the protective duties for the
domestic tanning industry. The duty on galoshes is 1’20 kronor per kg, or 25 %
of the value. Further, it might be mentioned that the duty on glass-wares is
V4 to 1/3 of the value; on cement 60 ore per quintal, representing above 20 %
of the value; on semi-manufactured steel and iron 16 %, if duty-free goods are
deducted, otherwise 5 for iron and steel goods, if goods exempt from duty
are deducted, 25 %, otherwise 14 %. For machinery in some cases the ad
valorem duty of 10 % has been retained, and in no case must the duty fall
below 5 % of the value; on an average it amounts to 10 %.
As to the benefit which various industries receive from the duties, this can be
estimated only in certain cases. The sugar-duty may be taken by way of
example. The sugar factories sell more than 130 million kg of sugar annually,
and as the price is usually raised above that of foreign sugar, up to the limit,
or very nearly to the limit which the duty allows of, the Swedish people pay
to the sugar factories and the sugar-beet growers in the shape of higher prices
11 ore per kg, i. e. between 14 and 15 million kronor per annum. Most of the
other industries, however, do not permit of an estimate of this kind being made,
until exhaustive investigations, which are not yet made, have been instituted.
• Duties are intended, of course, to protect home production and to restrict
import. It is thus quite natural that the State should also encourage the sale
of Swedish goods to foreign countries, and endeavour to increase the export
trade. Formerly, export premiums were resorted to for this purpose. These
have now been abolished, but, as a set-off, countries with State railways, more
particularly Germany, have introduced remarkably low export tariffs. Sweden
resolved, in 1912, to introduce these low export rates, principally for iron and
steel, manufactures of iron, machinery, paper, and cardboard. These tariffs are,
however, merely provisional and are likely to be considerably extended. (Cf.
also the preceding section on Customs-Tariff Legislation and Customs-House
Establishments.)
Inland Trade.
The Inland Trade of Sweden has at all times been of great importance
for the development of the country. Considerably facilitated by the
excellent waterways — which have to a certain extent been a necessary
factor in the country’s onward march in civilization -— the communications
between the different parts of the country have always been particularly
brisk. Still more has inland trade been forwarded by the modern means
of communication on land, and, and by liberal trade-legislation, which did
away with the guild-system, with its clogging restrictions on trade.
The total number of traders in Sweden, which in 1845 amounted to
only some 7 000, had increased to 37 729 in 1911, employing 54 591 hands
(more recent figures not available).
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