The policy was introduced in the budget of March 14, 1879, and it created high tariffs on the import of most manufactured goods. At the same time, the tariffs on raw materials were lowered also to help manufacturers. The tariff was not as high as that in the United States, however. The Canadian government was dependent upon revenue from customs; an income tax had not yet been introduced, largely because it was feared that it would reduce immigration when Canada was already having difficulty attracting immigrants. Too high a tariff would have cut off almost all imports, thus depriving the government of revenue.