Treaty Series No. 740

Provisional Commercial Agreement Between the United States of America and Latvia, Signed at Riga, February 1, 192625

The Undersigned,

Mr. F. W. B. Coleman, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Latvia, and

Mr. K. Ulmanis, Prime Minister of Latvia, desiring to confirm and make a record of the understanding which they have reached through recent conversations on behalf of their respective Governments with reference to the treatment which the United States shall accord to the commerce of Latvia and which Latvia shall accord to the commerce of the United States, have signed this Provisional Agreement:

§ 1

It is understood that in respect of import and export duties and all other duties and all other charges affecting commerce, as well as in respect to transit, warehousing and other facilities and the treatment of commercial travellers’ samples, the United States will accord to Latvia, and Latvia will accord to the United States, its territories and possessions, unconditional most favored nation treatment, and that in the matter of licensing or prohibitions of imports or exports each country so far as it at any time maintains such a system will accord to the commerce of the other treatment as favorable with respect to commodities, valuations and quantities as may be accorded to the commerce of any other country.

[Page 501]

§ 2

It is understood that no higher or other duties shall be imposed on the importation into or disposition in the United States, its territories or possessions, of any articles the produce or manufacture of Latvia than are or shall be payable on like articles the produce or manufacture of any foreign country.

§ 3

It is understood that no higher or other duties shall be imposed on the importation into or disposition in Latvia of any articles the produce or manufacture of the United States, its territories or possessions, than are or shall be payable on like articles the produce or manufacture of any foreign country.

§ 4

It is understood that similarly no higher or other duties shall be imposed in the United States, its territories or possessions, or in Latvia, on the exportation of any article to the other or to any territory or possession of the other than are payable on the exportation of like articles to any foreign country.

§ 5

It is understood that every concession with respect to any duty, charge or regulation affecting commerce now accorded or that may hereafter be Accorded by the United States or by Latvia by law, proclamation, decree, or commercial treaty or agreement, to the products of any third country will become immediately applicable without request and without compensation to the commerce of Latvia and of the United States and its territories and possessions, respectively.

§ 6

This understanding does not relate to:

A.
The treatment which the United States accords or may hereafter accord to the commerce of Cuba or any of the territories or possessions of the United States, or the Panama Canal Zone, or to the treatment which is or may hereafter be accorded to the commerce of the United States with any of its territories or possessions, or to the commerce of its territories or possessions with one another.
B.
The treatment which Latvia has accorded or may accord to the commerce of Estonia, Finland, Lithuania or Russia so long as [Page 502] any advantages arising from such treatment are not accorded by Latvia to the commerce of states other than Estonia, Finland, Lithuania and Russia.
C.
Prohibitions or restrictions of a sanitary character or designed to protect human, animal or plant life, or regulations for the enforcement of police or revenue laws.

§ 7

It is further understood that the present arrangement shall become operative on the day when the ratification of the present agreement by the Latvian Saeima will be notified to the Government of the United States, and unless sooner terminated by mutual agreement, shall continue in force until thirty days after notice of its termination shall have been given by either Government; but should either Government be prevented by future action of its legislature from carrying out the terms of this arrangement the obligations thereof shall thereupon lapse.


[seal]
F. W. B. Coleman

[seal]
K. Ulmanis
  1. Ratification by Latvian Saeima notified to the Government of the United States, Apr. 30, 1926.