File No. 763.72112/3046

The Consul General at London (Skinner) to the Secretary of State

Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith a circular announcement of official character, setting forth that under certain circumstances British goods, before being exported, must be accompanied by certificates of interest indicating that the buyers are not on the black list.2

I have [etc.]

Robert P. Skinner
[Enclosure]

Circular issued by the Foreign Trade Department of the Foreign Office

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs desires to bring to the notice of all concerned that with a view to preventing breaches of the trading with the enemy acts and proclamations, particularly the Trading with the Enemy (Extension of Powers) Act, 1915, all goods exported from the countries marked “A” below on and after October 1 next, to the United Kingdom, Australia, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Union of South Africa, all colonies not possessing responsible governments and protectorates, as well as India, must be accompanied by certificates of interest. These certificates will be issued by His Majesty’s consular officers, who will require documentary evidence that no enemy or person with whom trade is for the time being prohibited (e. g., persons on the statutory list) has any interest in the goods.

A—Abyssinia, Argentina, Azores, Bolivia, Brazil, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Danish West Indies, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Liberia, Madeira, Mexico, Morocco, Muscat, Netherland East and West Indies, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Persia, Peru, Philippine Islands, Portuguese East and West Africa, San Salvador, Spain, Spanish West Africa, Uruguay and Venezuela.

[Page 454]

In the case of exports from the countries marked “B” below where certificates of origin have hitherto been required, certificates of origin and interest will be required for goods exported on and after October 1 on the same conditions, except that the additional evidence required for a certificate of interest will have to be produced to the consular officer to whom application is made for the issue of the combined certificate.

B—Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, and Switzerland.

(In the case of these five countries goods for which certificates of origin are not at present required will not have to be accompanied by the new form of certificate of origin and interest).

All goods exported on and after October 10 from the five countries marked “B” above to Canada must be accompanied by a certificate of origin and interest.

In other cases certificates are not compulsory, but many traders, and particularly British shipowners and masters, will no doubt require, for their own protection against possible breaches of the trading with the enemy acts, to be furnished with certificates for goods consigned to any destination whatsoever. His Majesty’s consular officers have accordingly been instructed to furnish certificates in such circumstances on application.

The period of validity shown on certificates of interest and certificates of origin and interest will in no case exceed two months. It is required that shipment shall have been effected from the country of origin within the period of validity stated on the certificate, and it is not necessary that the goods shall have arrived at their ultimate destination within that period. The onus of proving that the goods were shipped within the period required will, if necessary, rest in cases of doubt with the importer of the goods.

Foreign Trade Department
,
Lancaster House, St. James’s, S. W.
  1. The terms of the enclosure indicate that, in place of the “British goods,” should have been said “goods intended for territories of the British Empire” and, in place of “buyers,” “sellers.”