632.116/1–2345: Telegram

The Chargé in Brazil (Donnelly) to the Secretary of State

242. The text of the Government’s announcement of the import license control order as published in this afternoon’s papers in Rio de Janeiro follows:

“The Government through the Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs issued instructions in an order dated yesterday establishing a [Page 716] previous import license control system covering certain imported products to be operative as long as the effects of the war continue in order to assure the maintenance and development of the productive activities of the country making them even more useful to the objectives of the United Nations.

“The order which is signed by the Ministers of Finance and Foreign Affairs expressly provides that this measure is not designed to protect uneconomic industries which can only subsist at the cost of permanent official favors and with prejudice to Brazilian consumers.

“The list of products the importation of which is subject to previous license control includes: precious and semi-precious stones, glass and derivatives, refractory material, pottery manufactures, nonmetallic materials manufactured, and basic ores in general, ferro-alloys, semi-manufactures of iron and steel, and of non-ferrous metals and alloys, steel mill products, and manufactures of iron and steel machinery and equipment in general, except agricultural.”

Donnelly