Sugar act
1764
April 5 1764
parliament passed a modified version of the sugar and molasses act (1733), which was about to expire. molasses act colonial merchants had been requiered to pay a tax of six pence per gallon on the importation of foreign molasses.
Taxes
But because of corruption, they mostly evaded the taxes and undercut the intention of the tax — that the English product would be cheaper than that from the French West Indies. This hurt the British West Indies market in molasses and sugar and the market for rum, which the colonies had been producing in quantity with the cheaper French molasses.
Colonies
Before the clearing out of the said ship or vessel, produce and deliver to the collector or other principal officer of the customs at the loading port, an affidavit signed and sword to before some justice of the peace in the said british colonies or plantation.