The Northern Prosperity Agreement

"It is agreed then. The north will trade as wild and free as the land we call home."

"Aye!!! Hear hear!"

Purpose

To increase quality of life and prosperity of the four northern most nations of Valerick by allowing open and unfettered resource trade and exchange.

Document Structure

Clauses

Trade, Economic Values, Tax Laws

Publication Status

Public, very public. Posted in every port, available at every harbor in its entirety, along with every church

Legal status

It is part and parcel of the legal framework in each of these four nations.

Historical Details

Background

This document marks an era of revitalization and prosperity for the northern nations that had previously been unthinkable. Covering for each other's resource failings with their resource strengths, this treaty over the decades and centuries, has turned the northern nations into economic and military powerhouses.

History

The most recent development historically is the joining of Suranth into this agreement. This has had naught but massive benefits for all involved, including a dramatic dropoff in, though not complete elimination of, piracy along the Northern Grain route, a sea trade route that is the artery of this trade agreement, running from Rohara to Deepwood and making dock at every port in between. Suranth's massive navy providing a swift and brutal justice for those whom would engage in such acts. The last ratification in 1318 saw Suranth entered into this alliance, and they have been a key member ever since.

Public Reaction

This treaty is loved by all, allowing a prosperity in available materials, goods and even things as simple as food, that none of these four nations had alone. And all this at a reasonable price.

Legacy

The legacy, as it continues, is that the Northern nations are known to stand together. Get in a dispute with one, you are in a dispute with them all.

Term

Perpetuity, but once every three years the leaders of each nation will travel to one of their capitals (alternating) and spend two weeks together, discussing how things have gone the last three years, going over things with their economic advisers and if necessary, making alterations to the document.

Read the Document

The Northern Prosperity Agreement

The contents are many and varied, issuing rules for all manner of shipping standards, direct good for good trading, and of course taxes. Most of this is one would expect but a key point that stands out is about the taxes:
'Any merchant vessel plying trade goods in any of our ports, is not subject to taxes on that income in any nation but his or her homeland. However that income is to be reported by both sides, and documents sent to the government of his or her homeland so they know TO tax said merchant appropriately for that income upon their return.'

The main reason for this is to avoid having merchants and suppliers ignore Raechin due to their tax rate, since unless they are a citizen of Raechin they are not subject to Raechin's tax laws. The reason for this is because of Raechin's shared vittles act, along with its high cost of infrastructure support and need to protect its wild and varied lands.

Another key part of the agreement is one to do with food. Food and other perishable goods will ALWAYS leap to the front of the line for inspections, regardless of how long any other merchant's goods have been waiting. This is to be sure that there are never food shortages in any of these nations. All goods will be inspected, all shipping manifests will be checked. On top of this, however, any merchant vessel not of a nation within this agreement will always be pushed back behind vessels from members of this agreement. The rule about perishables does supercede this however. SO for example, a vessel containing perishable goods from Kang-Chorath will go before a vessel of ore and metal from Suranth. But if one with food from Rohara is there, it will go before the vessel from Kang-Chorath, even if the one from Kang-Chorath has been in port for a day or more waiting.

As one can imagine, this has created some tension between the northern part of the continent and the rest of the land.

Close

Type

Treaty, Trade

Medium

Stone

Authoring Date

950

Ratification Date

1050, then again in 1318

Signatories (Organizations)

• Depenwood
• Raechin
• Rohara
• Suranth