811.20 (D) Regulations/2177: Telegram
The Consul at Hong Kong (Bruins) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:19 p.m.]
172. Importation into Hong Kong of various goods including dyes, metals, ores, machine tools, chemicals and drugs from the United States now required by local authorities to have a declaration to the effect that the goods are required solely for use in Hong Kong; such declaration if approved will be countersigned at the office of the Controller of Trade, Hong Kong, thus permitting importation into this colony. Foregoing is the substance of a notification published in Hong Kong Government Gazette of May 9th effective immediately. List follows by mail.68
Authorities concerned inform this office that above is their method of assisting enforcement of American export restrictions, Hong Kong having recently been used by some commercial interests as a point to which American export licenses could be easily obtained and from where transshipment could occur to points such as Shanghai or Indochina as illustrated by this office’s confidential despatches 841 of February 27 and 870 of March 25, 1941.69
Sent to Department. Repeated to Shanghai.