revised draft of a proposed Convention Relating to Assistance and Salvage of Aircraft on Land prepared by M. Vivent of France, reporter, was considered by the third commission, and this draft convention will be taken up by the C. I. T. E. J. A. in the next plenary session. COMMERCE AGREEMENT TO REFRAIN FROM INVOKING THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE MOST-FAVORED-NATION CLAUSE IN RESPECT OF CERTAIN MULTILATERAL CONVENTIONS (TREATY SERIES No. 898) 5 Greece The Director General of the Pan American Union informed the Secretary of State by a letter dated March 3, 1939, that the instrument of ratification by Greece of the Agreement to Refrain from Invoking the Obligations of the Most-Favored-Nation Clause in Respect of Certain Multilateral Economic Conventions, which was opened for signature at the Pan American Union on July 15, 1934, was deposited with the Union on March 1, 1939. RECIPROCAL TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA 6 TERMINATION OF PROCLAMATIONS OF TRADE AGREEMENT AND PROTOCOL OF AMENDMENT A proclamation was issued by the President on March 23, 1939, terminating as of April 22, 1939, the rates of duty which he had previously proclaimed to be effective as of April 16, 1938, by his proclamations of March 15, 1938, and April 15, 1938, pursuant to the reciprocal trade agreement between the United States and Czechoslovakia signed on March 7, 1938, as amended by the protocol signed April 15, 1938. This action taken by the President is based upon the fact that, although the trade agreement remains in effect, its operation has been suspended as a result of the occupation of the Czechoslovak provinces of Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia by the armed forces of Germany, and of the province of Ruthenia by the armed forces of Hungary. The text of the proclamation follows: BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A Proclamation WHEREAS it is provided in the Tariff Act of 1930 of the Congress of the United States of America, as amended by the Act of June 12, "See Bulletin No. 111, December 1938, p. 384; text of convention, 49 Stat. (pt. 2) 3260. See Bulletin No. 103, April 1938, p. 94. 1934, entitled "AN ACT To amend the Tariff Act of 1930" (48 Stat. 943), which amending Act was extended by Joint Resolution of Congress, approved March 1, 1937 (50 Stat. 24), as follows: "SEC. 350. (a) For the purpose of expanding foreign markets for the products of the United States (as a means of assisting in the present emergency in restoring the American standard of living, in overcoming domestic unemployment and the present economic depression, in increasing the purchasing power of the American public, and in establishing and maintaining a better relationship among various branches of American agriculture, industry, mining, and commerce) by regulating the admission of foreign goods into the United States in accordance with the characteristics and needs of various branches of American production so that foreign markets will be made available to those branches of American production which require and are capable of developing such outlets by affording corresponding market opportunities for foreign products in the United States, the Presi dent, whenever he finds as a fact that any existing duties or other import restrictions of the United States or any foreign country are unduly burdening and restricting the foreign trade of the United States and that the purpose above declared will be promoted by the means hereinafter specified, is authorized from time to time "(1) To enter into foreign trade agreements with foreign governments or instrumentalities thereof; and "(2) To proclaim such modifications of existing duties and other import restrictions, or such additional import restrictions or such continuance, and for such minimum periods, of existing customs or excise treatment of any article covered by foreign trade agreements, as are required or appropriate to carry out any foreign trade agreement that the President has entered into hereunder. No proclamation shall be made increasing or decreasing by more than 50 per centum any existing rate of duty or transferring any article between the dutiable and free lists. The proclaimed duties and other import restrictions shall apply to articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of all foreign countries, whether imported directly, or indirectly: Provided, That the President may suspend the application to articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of any country because of its discriminatory treatment of American commerce or because of other acts or policies which in his opinion tend to defeat the purposes set forth in this section; and the proclaimed duties and other import restrictions shall be in effect from and after such time as is specified in the proclamation. The President may at any time terminate any such proclamation in whole or in part.” WHEREAS, pursuant to the said Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, I entered into a foreign Trade Agreement on March 7, 1938, with the President of the Czechoslovak Republic, which Agreement was amended by a Protocol of Amendment signed on April 15, 1938; WHEREAS, by my Proclamations of March 15, 1938, and April 15, 1938, I did make public the said Trade Agreement, as amended by the said Protocol of Amendment, in order that the said Agreement as amended should be observed and fulfilled with good faith by the United State of America and the citizens thereof on and after April 16, 1938; WHEREAS the occupation of the Czechoslovak Provinces of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia by armed forces of Germany, and of the Province of Ruthenia by armed forces of Hungary and the assumption of de facto administrative control over these Provinces by Germany and Hungary renders impossible the present fulfillment by the Czechoslovak Republic of its obligations under the said Agreement: WHEREAS this condition will obtain so long as such occupation and administration continue; NOW, THEREFORE, be it known that I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, acting under the authority conferred by the said Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the said Act of June 12, 1934, as extended by the said Joint Resolution of March 1, 1937, do hereby proclaim that my Proclamations of March 15, 1938, and April 15, 1938, shall be terminated in whole on the thirtieth day after the date of this my Proclamation. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed. DONE at the city of Washington this twenty-third day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirty[SEAL] nine and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and sixty-third. By the President: SUMNER WELLES Acting Secretary of State. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT RECIPROCAL TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, NOVEMBER 17, 1938 7 ALLOCATION OF TARIFF QUOTA ON HEAVY CATTLE On February 27, 1939, the President signed a proclamation allocating among countries of export the unfilled portion of the tariff quota for the calendar year 1939 applicable to cattle weighing 700 pounds or more each (other than cows imported for dairy purposes) which was established in the revised trade agreement with Canada 'See Bulletin No. 110, November 1938, p. 355. signed on November 17, 1938. The agreement provides that not more than 225,000 head of such cattle may be imported in any calendar year at a rate of duty of 12 cents per pound and that not more than 60,000 head of this quantity may be imported in any quarter year. Imports above these amounts are dutiable at 3 cents per pound. Under the terms of the proclamation, 86.2 percent of the quota is allocated to Canada and 13.8 percent to other foreign countries. Since the maximum amount of 60,000 head permitted to be imported in any quarter year has already been exhausted for the period January-March 1939, the allocation will apply to cattle imported from April 1 until the end of the year. The application of the percentages mentioned above to the remainder of the 1939 quota (amounting to 165,000 head) results in the following allocation: Canada Other foreign countries... 142, 230 head The maximum quarterly quota of 60,000 head has also been allocated, on the basis of the same percentages, as follows: Canada Other foreign countries---- 51,720 head The trade agreement with Canada provides that, if, after consultation with the Government of the United States, the Government of Canada requests allocation of the tariff quota for heavy cattle, the Government of the United States shall take the necessary steps to allocate the quota. The agreement also requires that the allocation shall be based upon the proportions of total imports into the United States supplied by foreign countries in past years, account being taken in so far as practicable in appropriate cases of any special factors affecting the trade. Following consultation between the two Governments, the Government of Canada requested allocation of the quota on February 24, 1939. The allocations to Canada and to other countries are based upon imports into the United States during the years 1936 and 1937, which the President found to be representative of the trade in heavy cattle. CUSTOMS COUNTERVAILING DUTIES ON IMPORTS FROM GERMANY There is printed in Press Releases, Vol. XX, No. 494, March 18, 1939, pages 203-206, Treasury Decision No. 49821, regarding the countervailing duties to be imposed under section 303, Tariff Act of 1930, on imports from Germany. There is also published the opinion of the Attorney General with respect to the Treasury Decision. FINANCIAL EXCHANGE OF CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND BRAZIL The texts of the notes exchanged between the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil and the Secretary of State, dated March 8 and 9, 1939, respectively, regarding economic and financial cooperation between the two countries, have been printed in Press Releases, Vol. XX, No. 493, March 11, 1939, pages 175-182. The correspondence includes: 1. Translation of a note dated March 8, 1939, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil to the Secretary of State Appendix A. Communication dated March 8, 1939, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil to the Export-Import Bank of Washington Appendix B. Communication dated March 8, 1939, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil to the Secretary of the Treasury 2. Note dated March 9, 1939, from the Secretary of State to Appendix A. Communication dated March 9, 1939, from the Appendix B. Communication dated March 8, 1939, from the A summary of the discussions which took place between the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil and officials of the Government. of the United States will be found on page 174 of the above-named publication. CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF COUNTERFEITING CURRENCY Rumania 8 According to a circular letter from the League of Nations dated March 15, 1939, the instrument of ratification by Rumania of the Convention for the Suppression of Counterfeiting Currency, signed at Geneva on April 20, 1929, was deposited with the Secretariat on March 7, 1939. |