Treaty Series No. 753
Convention between the United States of America and Other American Republics, Signed at Santiago, May 3, 192328
Their Excellencies the Presidents of Venezuela, Panama, United States of America, Uruguay, Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, Nicaragua, [Page 315] Costa Rica, Brazil, Salvador, Colombia, Cuba, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Argentine Republic, and Hayti:
Being desirous that their respective countries may be represented at the Fifth International Conference of American States, have sent thereto the following Delegates, duly authorized to approve the recommendations, resolutions, conventions and treaties which they might deem advantageous to the interests of America.
Venezuela: Pedro César Dominici, César Zumeta, José Austria;
Panamá: Narciso Garay, José E. Lefevre;
United States of America: Henry P. Fletcher, Frank B. Kellogg, Atlee Pomerene, Willard Saulsbury, Frank C. Partridge, George E. Vincent, William Eric Fowler, Leo S. Rowe;
Uruguay: J. Antonio Buero, Justino Jiménez de Aréchaga, Eugenio Martínez Thedy;
Ecuador: Rafael M. Arízaga, José Rafael Bustamante, Alberto Muñoz Vernaza;
Chile: Agustín Edwards, Manuel Rivas Vicuña, Carlos Aldunate Solar, Luis Barros Borgoño, Emilio Bello Codesido, Antonio Huneeus, Alcibíades Roldán, Guillermo Subercaseaux, Alejandro del Río;
Guatemala: Eduardo Poirier, Máximo Soto Hall;
Nicaragua: Carlos Cuadra Pasos, Arturo Elizondo;
Costa Rica: Alejandro Alvarado Quirós;
United States of Brazil: Afranio de Mello Franco, Sylvino Gurgel do Amaral, J. de P. Rodríguez Alves, A. de Ipanema Moreira, Helio Lobo;
El Salvador: Cecilio Bustamante;
Colombia: Guillermo Valencia, Laureano Gómez, Carlos Uribe Echeverri;
Cuba: José C. Vidal Caro, Carlos García Vélez, Arístides Agüero, Manuel Márquez Sterling;
Paraguay: Manuel Gondra, Higinio Arbo;
Dominican Republic: Tulio M. Cestero;
Honduras: Benjamín Villaseca Mujica;
Argentine Republic: Manuel Augusto Montes de Oca, Fernando Saguier, Manuel E. Malbrán;
Hayti: Arthur Rameau.
Who, after having presented their credentials and the same having been found in due and proper form, have agreed upon the following Convention on Publicity of Customs Documents:
The High Contracting Parties, considering that it is of the utmost importance to give the greatest publicity to all customs laws, decrees, and regulations, agree as follows:
[Page 316]Article I
The High Contracting Parties agree to communicate to each other all the laws, decrees and regulations that govern the importation or the exportation of merchandise, as well as all laws, decrees and regulations referring to vessels entering into or sailing from their ports.
Article II
The High Contracting Parties agree to publish in full or in an abridged form the laws, decrees and regulations mentioned in Art. I, which have been communicated to them by the several American Countries that have ratified this Convention.
Article III
The High Contracting Parties will communicate to the Central Executive Council of the Inter American High Commission the laws, decrees or regulations to which Art. I refers.
Article IV
The High Contracting Parties resolve to entrust to the Central Executive Council of the Inter American High Commission the preparation of a handbook as detailed as possible, of the customs laws, decrees, and regulations enforced in the American countries. This handbook will be published in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
Article V
This Convention will become effective as soon as it is ratified by six Signatory States.
Article VI
The American countries not represented at the Fifth International Conference of American States may adhere to this Convention at any time. The respective protocol will be signed in Santiago, Chile, the original texts of this Convention being filed in the archives of the Government of the Republic of Chile.
Article VII
The ratifications of this Convention will be deposited with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chile.
The Government of the Republic of Chile will notify the Signatory States, through diplomatic channels, of the deposit of these ratifications; this notification will be equivalent to an exchange of ratifications.
[Page 317]Article VIII
This Convention may be denounced at any time. The denunciation must be made to the Government of the Republic of Chile and will affect the Government making such denouncement, one year after the date of the notification.
Article IX
Any controversy which may arise between the High Contracting Parties with respect to the execution or interpretation of this Convention, shall be decided by arbitration.
This Convention is issued in Spanish, English, Portuguese and French, each of which texts is authentic.
In Witness Whereof, the Delegates sign this Convention in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French and affix the seal of the Fifth International Conference of American States, in the city of Santiago, Chile, on the 3rd day of May in the year one thousand nine hundred and twenty three.
This Convention shall be filed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chile, in order that certified copies may be made and forwarded through appropriate diplomatic channels to each of the Signatory States.
(Signed) for Venezuela: Pedro César Dominici, César Zumeta, José Austria; for Panama: Narciso Garay, J. E. Lefevre; for the United States of America: Henry P. Fletcher, Frank B. Kellogg, Atlee Pomerene, Willard Saulsbury, George E. Vincent, Frank C. Partridge, William Eric Fowler, Leo S. Rowe; for Uruguay: J. Antonio Buero, Justino Jiménez de Aréchaga, Eugenio Martínez Thedy; for Ecuador: Rafael M. Arízaga, José Rafael Bustamante, Alberto Muñoz Vernaza; for Chile: Agustín Edwards, Manuel Rivas Vicuña, Carlos Aldunate Solar, Luis Barros Borgoño, Emilio Bello Codesido, Antonio Huneeus, Alcibíades Roldán, Guillermo Subercaseaux, Alejandro del Río; for Guatemala: Eduardo Poirier, Máximo Soto Hall; for Nicaragua: Carlos Cuadra Pasos, Arturo Elizondo; for Costa Rica: Alejandro Alvarado Quirós; for the United States of Brazil: Afranio de Mello Franco, Sylvino Gurgel do Amaral, J. de P. Rodríguez Alves, A. de Ipanema Moreira, Helio Lobo; for El Salvador: Cecilio Bustamante; for Colombia: Guillermo Valencia, Laureano Gómez, Carlos Uribe Echeverri; for Cuba: José C. Vidal Caro, Carlos García Vélez, Arístides Agüero, Manuel Márquez Sterling; for Paraguay: Manuel Gondra, Higinio Arbo; for the Domimcan Republic: Tulio M. Cestero; for Honduras: Benjamín Villaseca Mujica; for the Argentine Republic: Manuel A. Montes de Oca, Fernando Saguier, Manuel E. Malbrán; and for Hayti: Arthur Rameau.
- Ratification advised by the Senate, Feb. 18, 1924; ratified by the President, Apr. 21, 1924; ratification of the United States deposited with the Government of Chile, May 30, 1924; proclaimed by the President, Jan. 12, 1927.↩