831.24/549: Airgram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Venezuela ( Corrigan )
A–504. Your A–124, March 25, 4:45 p.m. As announced in Current Export Bulletins No. 79 and No. 80, general licenses will be cancelled for each country 2 months after the effective date of its Decentralization Plan A. The exception with respect to most shipments valued at $25.00 or less applies equally to all countries, and it is not deemed advisable at the present time to treat Venezuela differently.
Please advise the Import Control Commission that while its motives in suggesting that all shipments require an Import Recommendation regardless of value are highly commendable, it is felt that uniform operational procedure dictates that all countries be treated the same. If, after some months of operation in Venezuela, it is found that unusual difficulties and a considerable amount of circumvention of Import Recommendation procedure exists, the matter will then be taken under consideration.
The Embassy may wish to point out to the Import Control Commission that in Comprehensive Export Schedule No. 11, page 80, paragraph D, it is stated that the splitting of orders or the securing of a large number of similar separate orders to circumvent the general license with respect to shipments valued at $25.00 or less is strictly prohibited. Collectors of Customs are on the watch for such cases and it is believed that there will not be a considerable amount of violation.