French ports, giving particulars, and asking him to quote a through rate from Bradford to Paris, and say what the import duty would be. We shall receive a reply by return of post. Being in possession of the requisite information, we can now make our calculation as to he price at which we can afford to sell the goods laid down in Paris, but in order to enable us to make the calculation we must know the following equivalents : The simplest way of making the calculation is to take the lot of goods required, and, after adding charges, &c., convert the pounds, shillings, and pence into francs and centimes, and the yards into metres. We will suppose that the goods about which we are negotiating with our Paris friend are those represented by the following invoice, which we have received from the manufacturer: £24 15s. 7d. at 25.30 exchange Forwarding charges on the gross weight 134 lbs. Commission 21% fcs. 626.91 == 61 7.70 119.90 754-51 18.86 Total cost laid down in Paris As the usual arrangement with our Paris customer is add this to the cost, this is Making the total Fcs. 797-27 is the cost of the 125 yards. A yard is equal to 0.9144 metre, therefore 1252 yards multiplied by 0.9144 are equal to 114-9858 metres, say 115. Dividing fes. 797-27 by 115, we find that the price per metre, franco Paris, is fcs. 6.93. As French prices usually proceed by twentieths of a franc we might quote in this case fcs. 6.95, but we should probably say fes. 7. All export firms who do a continental business have these calculations worked out in a series of elaborate tables at different rates of exchange, thus showing at a glance the equivalent of the English price per yard or per lb. in francs, marks, liras, &c., per metre or per kilogramme. Other tables on the same basis show the additions which must be made for Customs duty and forwarding charges. Our quotation being accepted, we pack the goods in a truss (a small bale), and despatch the package to a shipping agent at a French port, say in this case Messrs. Hernu, Péron & Cie., of Boulogne-sur-Mer. We also advise Messrs. Hernu, Péron & Cie to forward the goods to our Paris customer, and to debit our account with the forwarding charges, Customs duty, and other expenses. A few days later we shall receive from them a Debit Note somewhat similar to the following: HERNU, PERON & Co. LTD., BOULOGNE-SUR-MER, le 27 Septembre, 1898. Bradford. Messieurs HALLINGS & Co., Doit pour frais à une balle suivant détail ci-bas d'envoie d'euxmêmes le 23 court et reéxpedié Franco en Petite Vitesse a Messieurs A. C. Poiré & Cie, 39, Rue du Pont, Paris, par l'entremise à domicile. A leur debit fcs. 128.10. Transport de Bradford à Paris 62 ks. payent pour 70 ks. It will be noted that the weights stated in this Debit Note are slightly in excess of our own. There are generally little discrepancies of this kind, which cannot be avoided. The few centimes per metre which are often added to the price, as already explained, cover such differences. Invoice. In the meantime (i.e., when the goods are despatched) we have to make out our invoice. This necessitates some further calculations. We have, in the first place, to convert the width into centimetres. Multiplying 56 inches by 2:54, we find the width is 142-24 centimetres, which we will call 142/3. We have next to convert the length of each piece into metres. Multiplying the yards by 0-9144, the calculations are as follows:- or In giving the lengths on the invoice we take the nearest 10 centimetres, thus the above lengths might be stated as 22.20, 22.60, 22.50, 23-80, and 23-90 respectively. We are now in a position to make out our invoice. This will be as follows: Invoice of goods bought by Hallings & Co., Bradford, by order and for account of Messrs. A. C. Poiré & Cie., Paris, and forwarded through Messrs. In actual practice tables are made use of to ascertain the metric equivalents of English weights and measures, the necessity of making a calculation each time being thus obviated. Some tables which will be found useful for the purpose are given at the end of this volume. An explanation of the metric system generally will be found in Chapter XXIX. CHAPTER XI THE EXPORTATION OF GOODS-Continued CONSULAR INVOICES. When goods are shipped to the United States a "Consular Invoice" has to be made out. This is an invoice in a prescribed form, which has to be declared before the United States Consul of the district whence the goods are exported. Usually three of these forms are required, but where the goods are intended to be sent “in bond" from the port of entry to some other port (for example, from New York to Boston), then four Consular Invoices are required. If the invoice amount does not exceed £20 the exporter need not declare the goods here unless he wishes to do so. The original invoice is retained at the Consulate, the duplicate (and quadruplicate, when one is made out) is returned to the shipper, and the triplicate is sent on to the Custom House at the port of entry. The shipper sends on copies to be dealt with by the consignee on arrival of the goods. When the shipment consists of piece goods, a card with samples attached has also to be left with the Consul, for identification of the goods on arrival at the United States port. The packages containing the goods have to be marked "Made in Great Britain," "Woollen (or other) goods," marks, numbers, &c. The invoice must show the contents of each package, and, in the case of piece goods, the width, design, number, weight in lbs., and yardage of each piece, the price, total amount, discount or other trade allowances, and all charges incurred up to putting the goods on board. On the following pages are specimens of a Consular Invoice and declaration for goods shipped by a merchant in this country against a sale made in New York. The declaration has to be made on the back of the invoice. For Chili and some other South American countries, and Portugal, Consular Invoices are also required and have to be made out on forms supplied by the respective Consuls in the United Kingdom. |