Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 56 Part 2.djvu/667

 56 STAT.] ARGENTINA-RECIPROCAL TRADE-OCT. 14, 1941 ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF ARGENTINE NOTES The Argentine Minister of ForeignAffairs and Worship to the American Ambassador MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND WORSHIP BUENOS AIRES, October 14, 1941 MR. AMBASS&DOR: I have the honor to refer to the conversations between representa- tives of the Argentine Government and the Government of the United States of America, in connection with the Trade Agreement signed this day, in regard to trade relations between Argentina and contiguous countries. During the course of these conversations the Argentine representa- tives have indicated that their Government intends to promote the development of reciprocal trade between the countries of this hemi- sphere, especially the neighboring countries, and to improve the internal economic conditions through the encouragement of domestic and foreign investments in new industries well adapted to the resources and possibilities of the country and have referred to the purpose of the Argentine Government in pursuance of the above to promote tariff reductions between Argentina and contiguous countries with a view to the gradual and ultimate achievement of a customs union among such countries. The Argentine and Brazilian Ministers of Finance have recently agreed on the bases of such arrangements and have submitted them to the consideration of their respective Governments. Moreover, pursuant to Resolution LXXX of the Seventh Conference of Ameri- can States at Montevideo, approved December 24, 1933, the Argentine and Brazilian representatives of the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee submitted jointly to that Committee for consideration a contractual formula for tariff preferences to con- tiguous countries, and on September 18, 1941 the Committee recom- mended that any such tariff preferences, in order to be an instrument for sound promotion of trade, should be made effective through trade agreements embodying tariff reductions or exemptions; that the par- ties to such agreements should reserve the right to reduce or eliminate the customs duties on like imports from other countries; and that any such regional tariff preferences should not be permitted to stand in the way of any broad program of economic reconstruction involving the reduction of tariffs and the scaling down or elimination of tariff and other trade preferences with a view to the fullest possible develop- ment of international trade on a multilateral unconditional most- favored-nation basis. The representatives of the Argentine Government have also referred to the special facilities other than tariff preferences which have been accorded to the commerce of contiguous countries and Peru in an effort to mitigate the serious effects of the curtailment of overseas markets as a result of the European conflict, and have pointed out that until such time as the present hostilities between the Govern- 66714--43 -PT. II-42 1753

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