Stephen Goodell
Abstract: In an attempt to improve relations between France and England, several negotiators met largely with neither the approval of the French Foreign Ministry nor the help of the British Foreign Office to draft what would be the 1860 Treaty of Commerce. The most important provisions of the treaty were the most favored nation clause and the lowering of the British duties on French wines. This article outlines the significance of France and England enacting domestic policy through a foreign policy platform. Additionally, the article illustrates the obstacles in signing the Treaty of commerce between England and France in 1860. After several unsuccessful negotiations over a 150-year period, France and England began to liberalize their trade policy. England took the first step toward tariff reduction in 1825 by removing its prohibition on the importing of wool and decreasing a number of other duties. However, the main hindrance in signing the treaty was the issue of wine duties. The French insisted that the treaty would be impossible without including wine duties, for it had always been a major part of every proposed commercial arrangement between the two countries since 1713.
Key Words: Treaty of Commerce, 1860, England, France, wine, trade policy
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