It was under those untoward circumstances that Stein in 1804 took office at Berlin, as minister of state for trade (indirect imposts, taxes, manufactures, and commerce). He introduced useful reforms in his department, particularly by abolishing various restrictions on the internal trade of the nation, but he was hampered in his endeavors by the spirit of Prussian conservatism. He soon felt constrained to protest against the effects of the Francophile policy of the chief minister, Christian Graf von Haugwitz, and the evil influences that clogged the administration. Little, however, came of Stein's protests, but they were urged with his usual incisiveness and energy. Prussian policy continued to progress on the path that led to the disaster at Jena (14 October 1806).