Full text of Reciprocal Tariff Act of 1934

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73d CONGRESS.
[CHAPTER 473.]

SESS. II.

CHS. 473, 474.

943

JUNE 12, 1934.

A T A fYF

June 12, 1934.

[H.R. 7317.1
[Public, No. 315,]

To provide for the final construction, on behalf of the United States, of postal
treaties or conventions to which the United States is a party.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the

s
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 398 with forerinnge trent
of the Revised Statutes (U.S.C., title 5, sec. 372), is hereby amended R.S. sec. 398 p. 87;

to read as follows:
"For

of Post-

Authority
the purpose of making better postal arrangements with master General.

foreign countries, or to counteract their adverse measures affecting
our postal intercourse with them, the Postmaster General, by and
with the advice and consent of the President, may negotiate and
conclude postal treaties or conventions, and may reduce or increase
the rates of postage or other charges on mail matter conveyed

between the United States and foreign countries: Provided, That

the decisions of the Postmaster General construing or interpreting
the provisions of any treaty or convention which has been or may be
negotiated and concluded shall, if approved by the President, be
final and conclusive upon all officers of the United States."
Approved, June 12, 1934.
[CHAPTER 474.]

approved

President,

AN ACT
To amend the Tariff Act of 1930.

by

nding.

June 12, 1934.
[H.R. 8687.]
[Public, No. 316.]

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

pretations,
when

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
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

Tariff Act of 1930,
amended.
Vol. 46, p. 708.
Promotion of foreign
trade.

Presient for eredan
ing forein markets for

U.

products.

.on of foreign goods.

United States, the President, whenever he finds as a fact that any dutWenerexecistin
duties are found to be
existing duties or other import restrictions of the United States or unduly burdening.

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 govern- eiy

enter ie

ments or instrumentalities thereof; and

fors

stmoi
"(2) To proclaim such modifications of existing duties and other T Proclaim
ltions of existing
limited
for
duties,
such
or
restrictions,
import
import restrictions, or such additional

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 proclama-

tion shall be made increasing or decreasing by more than 50 per

pod

Limitations

944

73d CONGRESS.

SESS. II.

CH. 474.

JUNE 12, 1934.

centum any existing rate of duty or transferring any article between

Application of

lamation.

proc- the dutiable and free lists. The proclaimed duties and other import
restrictions shall apply to articles the growth, produce, or manu-

facture of all foreign countries, whether imported directly, or
rosis o.f

-

cation.

Termination.
Treatyof commercial
reciprocitwith Cuba.
Vot.3,

.2136.

Applicatonof.

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 preferen-

tial customs treatment of any article the growth, produce, or

atlimitation.

manufacture of Cuba: Provided, That the duties payable on such
an article shall in no case be increased or decreased by more than 50

"Duties
and other
import restrictions"
defined.

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 classi-

fication of articles, and (2) limitations, prohibitions, charges, and
exactions other than duties, imposed on importation or imposed for
ounteriling

duties.
Vo. 46 p. 625.
oqalition of costs
ol. 46, pp 701, 73.
trae agreement con

the regulation of imports."

SE.
in

2. (a) Subparagraph (d) of paragraph 369, the last sen-

tence 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
The third paragraph of section 311 of the Tariff Act
Flour from mported agreement.
of 1930 shall apply to any agreement concluded pursuant to this
hV.4t, p. 691.
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
payment of duty like flour produced in any other country; and upon the withdrawal
from
upon withdrawal
of wheat four from bonded manufacturing warehouses for exportableid wvarehouse.
tion to the country wit wwhich 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
Term of agreement.
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
Diaetion of rrets
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 authorforindebtedness
ity to cancel or reduce, in any manner, any of the indebtedness of
niteId tates.
any foreign country to the United States.
cluded.

73d CONGRESS.

SESS. II.

CHS. 474-476.

945

JUNE 12,1934.

SEC. 4. Before any foreign trade agreement is concluded with any Notice of intention
foreign government or instrumentality thereof under the provisionsnegotateagreement.

of this Act, reasonable public notice of the intention to negotiate
an agreement with such government or instrumentality shall be
given in order that any interested person may have an opportunity
to present his views to the President, or to such agency as the
President may designate, under such rules and regulations as
the President may prescribe; and before concluding such agreement the President shall seek information and advice with respect
thereto from the United States Tariff Commission, the Departments
of State, Agriculture, and Commerce and from such other sources as
he may deem appropriate.
Approved, June 12, 1934, 9.15 p.m.
[CHAPTER 475.]

ATN ACrT

Granting the consent of Congress to the State of Indiana to construct, maintain,
and operate a free highway bridge across the Grand Calumet River near
Clark Street, in Gary, Indiana.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the consent
of Congress is hereby granted to the State of Indiana to construct,
maintain, and operate a free highway bridge and approaches thereto
across the Grand Calumet River, at a point suitable to the interests
of navigation, at or near a point east of Clark Street, Gary, Indiana, in accordance with the provisions of an Act entitled "An Act
to regulate the construction of bridges over navigable waters",
approved March 23, 1906.
SEC. 2. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby
expressly reserved.
Approved June 12, 1934.
[CHAPTER 476.]

Grand Calumet
River.
Indiana may bridge,
at Gary.

Construction.
Vol. 34, p. 84.
Amendment.

AN ACT

AN ACT

Granting the consent of Congress to the State of Alabama, its agent or agencies,
and to Colbert County and to Lauderdale County in the State of Alabama,
and to the city of Sheffield, Colbert County, Alabama, and to the city of
Florence, Lauderdale County, Alabama, or to any two of them, or to either of
them, to construct, maintain, and operate a bridge, and approaches thereto,
across the Tennessee River at a point between the city of Sheffield, Alabama,
and the city of Florence, Alabama, suitable to the interests of navigation.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the consent
of Congress is hereby granted to the State of Alabama, its agent or
agencies, and to Colbert County and to Lauderdale County in the
State of Alabama, and to the city of Sheffield, Colbert County, Alabama, and to the city of Florence Lauderdale County, Alabama, or
to any two of them, or to either of them, to construct, maintain, and
operate a bridge, and approaches thereto across the Tennessee River,
at a point suitable to the interests of navigation, between the city of
Florence, Alabama, and the city of Sheffield, Alabama, in accordance
with the provisions of an Act entitled "An Act to regulate the construction of bridges over navigable waters ", approved March 23,
1906.
SEC. 2. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby
expressly reserved.
Approved, June 12, 1934.
86637 -34---60

June 12,1934.

[H.R. 9064.]
[Public, No. 317.]

June 12, 1934.
[(.R. 9141.1
[IPublic, No. 318.)

Tennessee River.
Alabama, etc., may
bridge, between Sheffield and Florence.

Construction.
Vol. 34, p. 84.
Amendment.