American Independence…Trade Dependents

Exports from Great Britain to the Colonies doubled the first year of the Colonies’ independence. While Parliament placed tariffs on manufactured goods the newly-independent Colonies intended to export to Great Britain.

These were British tariffs. British tariffs were called Duties.

Duties represented constraints pushed onto Colonists by Great Britain. Functioning as barriers to Colonial exports which could land ashore in Great Britain, as imports.

This problem – caused by the imposition of duties on Colonial production – was compounded by an additional constraint. One meant to further restrict American exports to Great Britain. This additional restriction was centered upon shipping.

American exports to Great Britain were required to be transported by British vessels only.

Confiscatory trade policy enacted through Parliament which dampened economic growth in the new American Colonies.