611.5331/191b
The Department of State to the Portuguese Legation
Memorandum
There is attached a draft of general provisions for inclusion in a possible trade agreement between the United States and Portugal, together with a commentary on this draft.9
Should the Government of Portugal express its readiness to negotiate a trade agreement on the basis of the attached draft, and to give consideration, during the course of the negotiations, to such requests as the Government of the United States may make for material reductions in the total import charges imposed by Portugal on articles of which the United States is an important supplier of Portuguese imports, this Government would be prepared to give immediate consideration to the possibility of issuing a public notice of intention to negotiate. A preliminary list of articles of which the United States is an important supplier to Portugal was handed to the Minister of Portugal on February 17, 1939.
Such a public notice would be accompanied by a list of articles of which Portugal is an important supplier of imports into the United States. A preliminary list of such articles is included in the memorandum [Page 713] handed to the Minister of Portugal on December 20, 1938. This Government would be prepared to consider any request which the Government of Portugal might make for a reduction (not exceeding 50 percent) in the customs duty on any dutiable article included on the list which would accompany the public notice, or for the continued free entry of any article on the list which is now subject to free entry.
- Neither printed. The general provisions were similar to those included in the existing trade agreements of the United States, with the exception of the special trade agreement with Cuba.↩