The British law that imposed tax on molasses, sugar and rum imported to American colonies from non-British foreign colonies. The objective was to protect the position of British suppliers in American market against cheaper Spanish and French goods. The act not only increased the price of sugar and rum in the colonies, but also curtailed American trade with French colonies that were also buyers of American goods such as lumber and farm products. The tax was very severe but also poorly enforced and lead to wide-spread evasion, bribery and smuggling allowing some colonial merchants like John Hancock to make fortunes