The mercantilist western states were eventually to change the character of the capitulations, gradually making the Ottoman economy a dependency of Europe. Ottoman statesmen considered it politic to encourage an ever-increasing flow of manufactured goods into the empire, in order to create abundance in the home market and to benefit the Treasury with increased customs revenue. The Levant thus became an open market for European commercialism. Nevertheless, since imports from Europe were limited to a few items, mainly woollens, minerals and paper, they did not greatly harm the native guild industries until the nineteenth century. It was only after the industrial revolution in Europe that the capitulations had disastrous consequences for the Ottoman economy.