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Rh as the early Mexican tariffs, was as distinctly illiberal as the navigation policy was progressive. Revenue had to be raised and the import dues were the main reliance. Protection of industries existing and to be born was also alleged to be a motive back of the customs charges. As a result the customs taxes were high, so high in many cases as to prohibit honest importation, lessen the income to the public treasury and make smuggling a highly profitable and not disgraceful business. Some lines of goods, and for a time the list showed a tendency to grow, could not be imported at all. Of these there were 245 items in the tariff of August 14, 1843. In spite of the "protection" thus afforded, local manufacture did not grow. The only industry which did take root was cotton manufacture, which began in a small way under the stimulus of a special subvention included in the tariff laws of April 6 and October 16, 1830.

A careful estimate of the average annual import trade for the first quarter-century of independence puts the figure at 20,000,000 pesos. The chief countries contributing were Great Britain, which apparently sent over half of the total; the United States, which sent one-fifth; and France, which sent about one-eighth. Textiles were the most important item from Europe. The United States trade was more varied. It suffered a sharp decline in the latter years of the period due to the political difficulties which finally resulted in war.

Import trade in the second quarter-century of independence was still far from prosperous. Revolutions,