外交總長陸致駐京各使照會 元年八月十四日 A Note from Mr. Lu-Tseng-hsiang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the Foreign Ministers at Peking from the 14th day, 8th month, 1st year (of the Republic) (August 14, 1912)
爲照會事。案查前清光緒二十八年續修通商進口稅則。施行至今已届十年。 The Revised Import Tariff of the twenty-eighth year of Kuang-Hsü (1902) has, up to the present, already reached the ten years (limit).
曾於中英商約內。訂明此項稅則。若修改須於十年期滿。六個月內。先行知照等語。 It is agreed in the Commercial Treaty (1902) between China and Great Britain (1) that if a revision of the said Tariff be wanted, a notification (to this effect) must be made within six months after the end of (the first) ten years.
又查此項稅則。係照辛丑各國和約增至切實一千八百九十七八値巨抽五。其估算貨價之基。以九三年卸貨時各貨牽算價值。 Again, the rate of this Tariff was raised, in accordance with the International Protocol of 1901, to an effective 5% "ad valorem" whose basis of valuation was taken from the mean value of the merchandise at the moment of its debarkation in the three years of 1897. 1898 and 1899.
今已閱十年。各貨價值多有增減。自應及時修改。以符切實值百抽五之原約。 Now ten years have elapsed and in view of the fluctuations in values of the various kinds of merchandise, it should be revised in due time so as to make it conformable to the original agreement of an effective 5% "ad valorem".
茲特將中國願修改稅則之意。向經簽押於續修通商進口稅則之各國駐京大臣。 Declaring now to the Ministers of the signatory Powers to the aforesaid Tariff at Peking the intention of China to revise it,
聲明應請貴大臣查照見復爲盼。須至照會者。 I hope Your Excellency will take notice (of this declaration) and favor me with a reply.