611.2231/264: Telegram
The Minister in Ecuador (Long) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:25 p.m.]
76. Department’s June 28 [29], 7 p.m. Impossible to induce National Economic Council to approve the general provisions prior to their decision as to what they will be willing to include in Schedule I as they are required to report on the agreement as a whole.
Ecuador seems to be favorably disposed toward concluding trade agreement prior to August 10 but members of the National Economic Council are devoting painstaking consideration to every item on Department’s original Schedule I and it looks as though their report may be delayed. We figure that we have at most two working weeks to terminate negotiations but fear little can be accomplished after August 1st owing to confusion prior to change of Government.
While no offer has been received from National Economic Council regarding bindings it would be helpful if the Department could telegraph whether or not it would accept bindings at 1938 tariff rates on items which were desired bound at old rates.
The item numbers under the 1938 tariff with the old and new duties on each are as follows:
9–b prepared milking 40 to 45 centavos; 77–c rolled oats 30 to 35 centavos; 644 mechanical specie counters 10 to 20%; 650 sewing machines 14 sucres plus 7% to 35 plus 7; 652 typewriters 15 to 20%; 667 storage batteries 20 to 25%; ex 677 electric refrigerators 15 to 20%; 692–a motor trucks free to 10%; 1089–a calf leather 7½ to 8½ sucres. 524 artisan tools ex 526 machettes, and 608 industrial machinery are unchanged.