Cargo method - Kamotsu method

…the trading laws of Nagasaki trade in the early Edo period from 1672 to 1684 (Kanbun 12 to Jōkyō 1). At the time, they were called the City Law, Cargo Trade Law, and Cargo Specification Law. Reflecting on the soaring import costs and the outflow of silver caused by the auctions during the period of the relative trade law, Nagasaki magistrate Ushigome Tadazaemon led the following system: (1) Over 6,600 people interested in trading from the five directly controlled cities (Sakai, Kyoto, Nagasaki, Edo, Osaka) and throughout the western part of Japan were organized into a municipal trading post, with each person's share price determined based on their track record and assets; (2) At the trading post, senior retainers and connoisseurs appraised the goods, and the goods were purchased from foreigners at the Japanese "asking price" approved by the magistrate, which was then paid to municipal merchants at a bid within the share price; (3) The huge profit, after deducting fees and Nagasaki subsidies, was distributed to all municipal merchants according to their share prices; (4) However, one-third of the profits from the Chinese ship trade were to be distributed to each town in Nagasaki.

*Some of the terminology used in relation to "cargo specifications" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…江戸初期の長崎貿易における1672‐84年(寛文12‐貞享1)の取引法。当時は市法貨物商売の法，貨物仕法といった。相対（あいたい）貿易法時代のせり買いによる輸入原価の高騰，銀流出の反省から，長崎奉行牛込忠左衛門の主導のもとに，(1)直轄5都市(堺，京都，長崎，江戸，大坂)ほか西国一円の取引希望者6600人余を，実績や資産によって各人の株高を決め，市法会所に組織する，(2)会所では宿老，目利（めきき）などが査定し，奉行が認めた日本側の〈指し値〉(言い値)で外国人から買い取り，これを市法商人に株高内での入札払いとする，(3)その莫大な差益は，役料，長崎助成などを引いて，全市法商人に株高に応じて配当する，(4)もっとも，唐船貿易からの収益の3分の1は長崎各町に配分する，というしくみである。…

※「貨物仕法」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報