611.653/79: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Italy (Phillips)
69. Department’s 68, July 8, 1938.18 Treasury states that when the German representatives came to Washington in the summer of 1936, [Page 568] when countervailing duties were imposed upon certain German products, they did not negotiate any arrangements with the Treasury Department. They only obtained information concerning the requirements of our countervailing duty law.
The Treasury expresses doubt that a visit of Italian experts to Washington would aid in solving the current difficulties except in the way of familiarizing these experts with the requirements of our laws and to the further extent to which they could be helpful to their exporters by facilitating the investigations which must be made in Italy by Treasury agents to meet the requirements of our tariff laws. If the Italian Government believes that it is insufficiently informed as to the United States Customs requirements or if the Italian exporters believe themselves to be insufficiently informed, the Treasury Department will be glad to do all that is possible in assisting qualified representatives to a better understanding of our laws and regulations and for this purpose may be called upon at any time.
The Treasury has reiterated its promise to expedite its reply on the general question of delays in appraisements.
- Not printed; it stated that it was not possible to indicate the date on which a reply on the appraisement of Italian merchandise might be expected (611.653/73).↩