611.56241/42
The Netherlands Legation to the Department of State
Memorandum
During the year 1930 an arrangement has been made between the Department of Foreign Affairs at The Hague and the United States Legation, extending on a basis of reciprocity the privilege of free importation in such a manner, that consular officers, having the nationality of the country they represent, and not being engaged in any other business, will be accorded the privilege of importing articles free of duty for their personal and family use at any time during their official residence.
At that time it was understood, that the American consular officers in the Netherlands would likewise be exempted from excise duties when importing articles under above mentioned conditions.
In answer, however, to its suggestion that also this exemption from excise duties should be made reciprocal, the Netherland Government has been informed that in the absence of appropriate treaty provisions between the Netherlands and the United States exemption from excise taxes cannot be included in the free entry privileges for articles imported by consular officers of the Netherlands into the United States.
Acting under instructions of its Government, the Royal Netherland Legation has the honor to recur to the kind intermediary of the Department of State in order to be informed if and in what form eventually could be concluded between the two governments a binding provision to the effect that Netherland consular officers in the United States, as well as the United States consular officers in the Netherlands, would enjoy the privilege of exemption of excise taxes by importation of articles for their personal use.