Murray, Hon. Reid F., Representative in Congress from the State of O'Mahoney, Hon. Joseph C., United States Senator from the State of O'Neal, Edward A., president, American Farm Bureau Federation Peabody, Walter R., secretary, American Tariff League, New York City.. Pepper, Hon. Claude, United States Senator from the State of Florida. Schloss, Hugo N., New York City, president, American Lace Manufac- Smith, Earl C., Chicago, Ill., president, Illinois Agricultural Association; representing the American Farm Bureau Federation.. Taber, L. J., master, the National Grange_ Thatcher, M. W., St. Paul, Minn., chairman, legislative committee, Na- Wallace, Hon. Henry A., Secretary of Agriculture- Woll, Matthew, president, America's Wage Earners' Protective Con- Young, Howard I., St. Louis, Mo., chairman, tariff committee,_ National Page 750 799 743 570 676 409, 440 STATEMENTS, BRIEFS, LETTERS, TELEGRAMS, MEMO- Adkerson, J. Carson, president, American Manganese Producers Asso- ciation, Washington, D. C............. Amalgamated Lace Operatives of America, Philadelphia, Pa.. Kornbliet, I. Robbins, executive secretary, American Watch Assemblers 855 Mollin, F. E., secretary, American National Livestock Association_ National Board of the Young Women's Christian Association of the Page National Society Service Star Legion, Inc.. 508 National Women's Trade Union League of America. 506 Noble, Hon. Edward J., Acting Secretary of Commerce. 820 Northwestern Steel & Wire Co... 284 Pieckett, Carlton I., Plymouth County Farm Bureau, South Hanson, Mass_ 675 Pike, H. H., Jr., chairman, Cuban committee, National Foreign Trade 856 Prentis, H. W., Jr., president, Armstrong Cork Co... Proper, J. Howard, New York City, general counsel, American Cham- 863 342 Roebling's Sons Co., John A. 284 Russell, Hubbard, past president of American National Livestock Asso- 864 Ryder, Oscar B., acting chairman, United States Tariff Commission.. 166 536 Tanners Council of America, Washington, D. C. 862 Thomas, E. P., president, National Foreign Trade Council, Inc., New York 849 Tobin, Daniel J., general president, International Brotherhood of Team- 567 Toy Manufacturers of the United States of America, Inc.. 283 Tracy, D. W., international president, International Brotherhood of Elec- 568 Wickwire Bros., Inc.. 284 Wickwire Spencer Steel Co- 284 Williams, Langbourne M., Jr., president, Freeport Sulphur Co., New York EXTENSION OF RECIPROCAL TRADE AGREEMENTS ACT MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1940 UNITED STATES SENATE, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, in the Finance Committee room at 10 a. m., Senator Pat Harrison (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The hearing will come to order. The committee has met this morning for the purpose of holding hearings on the legislation continuing the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act, House Joint Resolution 407, which will be placed in the record. I think it is well in the beginning to have inserted in the record the original Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act enacted in 1934, and the public resolution extending the original act for a period of 3 years. The committee will recall that in 1937 the original act was extended for a further 3-year period. The present act expires on June 12, 1940. I think it would be well also that the message of the President of January 3, 1940, to the joint session of the Congress, in which, among other things, he recommended that the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act be extended, be inserted in the record. (The insert material referred to by the chairman follows:) [H. J. Res. 407, 76th Cong. 3d sess.] JOINT RESOLUTION To extend the authority of the President under section 350 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the period during which the President is authorized to enter into foreign-trade agreements under section 350 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Act (Public, Numbered 316, Seventy-third Congress) approved June 12, 1934, is hereby extended for a further period of three years from June 12, 1940. Passed the House of Representatives February 23, 1940. SOUTH TRIMBLE, Clerk. [PUBLIC NO. 316-73D CONGRESS] [H. R. 8687] AN ACT To amend the Tariff Act of 1930 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Tariff Act of 1930 is amended by adding at the end of title III the following: "PART III-PROMOTION OF FOREIGN TRADE "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 1 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 President, 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. "(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the application, with respect to rates of duty established under this section pursuant to agreements with countries other than Cuba, of the provisions of the treaty of commercial reciprocity concluded between the United States and the Republic of Cuba on December 11, 1902, or to preclude giving effect to an exclusive agreement with Cuba concluded under this section, modifying the existing preferential customs treatment of any article the growth, produce, or manufacture of Cuba: Provided, That the duties payable on such an article shall in no case be increased or decreased by more than 50 per centum of the duties now payable thereon. "(c) As used in this section, the term 'duties and other import restrictions' includes (1) rate and form of import duties and classification of articles, and (2) limitations, prohibitions, charges, and exactions other than duties, imposed on importation or imposed for the regulation of imports." SEC. 2. (a) Subparagraph (d) of paragraph 369, the last sentence of paragraph 1402, and the provisos to paragraphs 371, 401, 1650, 1687, and 1803 (1) of the Tariff Act of 1930 are repealed. The provisions of sections 336 and 516 (b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 shall not apply to any article with respect to the importation of which into the United States a foreign trade agreement has been concluded pursuant to this Act, or to any provision of any such agreement. The third paragraph of section 311 of the Tariff Act of 1930 shall apply to any agreement concluded pursuant to this Act to the extent only that such agreement assures to the United States a rate of duty on wheat flour produced in the United States which is preferential in respect to the lowest rate of duty imposed by the country with which such agreement has been concluded on like flour produced in any other country; and upon the withdrawal of wheat flour from bonded manufacturing warehouses for exportation to the country with which such agreement has been concluded, there shall be levied, collected, and paid on the imported wheat used, a duty equal to the amount of such assured preference. (b) Every foreign trade agreement concluded pursuant to this Act shall be subject to termination, upon due notice to the foreign government concerned, at the end of not more than three years from the date on which the agreement comes into force, and, if not then terminated, shall be subject to termination thereafter upon not more than six months' notice. (c) The authority of the President to enter into foreign trade agreements under section 1 of this Act shall terminate on the expiration of three years from the date of the enactment of this Act. SEC. 3. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to give any authority to cancel or reduce, in any manner, any of the indebtedness of any foreign country to the United States. |