4. A Royal Decree of Philip III Regulating Trade between the Philippines and New Spain (1604)

Abstract

This decree represents one of the earliest attempts made by the Spanish crown to regulate the transpacific trade between Acapulco and Manila. In reaction to complaints that transpacific commerce was harmful to Spain and its Atlantic possessions, the crown attempted to regulate such matters as the number and tonnage of the galleons, the penalties for transporting contraband, the salary of galleon commanders, the manner in which accounts would be kept, procedures for inspecting ships and cargo, and much else. Natalie Cobo and Tatiana Seijas place the document in the context of early modern Spanish mercantilism, intra-imperial commercial rivalries, and the reactive patterns of imperial governance.