Abstract:
Imperial customs policy of Russia was linked to foreign trade and the level of development of the productive forces. It is customs policy determined the level of economic development not only in European Russia but in the Central Asian region also. It is known that the Russian Empire adhered to the ideas of protectionism (since 1877). The main reason for such economic policies rooted in the economic system of the Empire. Russia has moved to a capitalist way of development in the second half of the 19th century. Russian Empire mainly exported raw materials and was considered pretty backward country. It should be remarked that the Russian Empire needed modernization of all branches of industry and therefore it had not been able to exert effective influence on the development of Central Asia. In the Russian Empire, there were quite a lot restrictions on trade and industry. Overall, Russia defended its colonies from the invasion of British goods, as British goods were much cheaper and better of Russian products in quality. The main reason that the Russian Empire established protectionism, according to professor M. I. Tugan-Baranovsky was that "...the main market for Russian factory is a village and textile manufacturing preferably needs its economic strong. On the other hand, the textile industry is in need of cheap machines and should help to reduce duties on them. It closely associated with agriculture, than with the metals industry, which is a bastion of protectionism. Russian Empire exported abroad mainly wheat and imported technology and finished products, that is why it was interested in low taxes on wheat that helped to abstain from increasing the price of products. However, the Russian Empire also wanted to develop heavy industry, and to that had to impose duties on the products of heavy industry. "...175 million rubles - this amount during the 1900 overpaid Russian consumers?, wrote the newspaper ?Russian Turkestan, "in the form of bonuses for fun use of cast iron, iron, and steel of Russian manufacture.
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