International Trade Files, Lot 57D284, Box 1622

Department of State Press Release, January 1, 1950

Calendar of Trade Agreements

Countries which are contracting parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade concluded at Geneva, Switzerland, in 19473 are indicated below by asterisks. Those contracting parties with which the United States had concluded bilateral trade agreements before the negotiation of the General Agreement are indicated by double asterisks and the present status of the earlier agreements is shown in the list on the following page.

At Annecy, France, in 1949 the United States and other contracting parties to the General Agreement negotiated with 10 other countries for accession of the latter to the agreement. These new acceding countries are: Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Finland, Greece, Haiti, Italy, Liberia, Nicaragua, Sweden, and Uruguay. Of these only Haiti has completed the necessary steps in order to accede to the agreement and United States concessions initially negotiated with that country will become effective on January 1, 1950. The other acceding countries have until April 30, 1950, to take similar action. The United States will not give effect to the concessions initially negotiated with these countries until such action is taken.

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The United States signed a trade agreement with Colombia on September 13, 1935. This agreement went into effect on May 20, 1936 and by joint agreement between the two countries was terminated as of December 1, 1949.

Country Date concluded Date effective
Argentina Oct. 14, 1941 Nov. 15, 1941
Australia* Oct. 30, 1947 Jan. 1, 1948
Belgium** Oct. 30, 1947 Jan. 1, 1948
Brazil** Oct. 30, 1947 July 31, 1948
Burma* Oct. 30, 1947 July 30, 1948
Canada** Oct. 30, 1947 Jan. 1, 1948
Ceylon* Oct. 30, 1947 July 30, 1948
Chile* Oct. 30, 1947 Mar. 16, 1949
China* Oct. 30, 1947 May 22, 1948
Costa Rica Nov. 28, 1936 Aug. 2, 1937
Cuba** Oct. 30, 1947 Jan. 1, 1948
Czechoslovakia** Oct. 30, 1947 Apr. 21, 1948
Ecuador Aug. 6, 1938 Oct. 23, 1938
El Salvador Feb. 19.1937 May 31, 1937
Finland May 18, 1936 Nov. 2, 1936
France** Oct. 30, 1947 Jan. 1, 1948
Guatemala Apr. 24, 1936 June 15, 1936
Haiti** Oct. 10, 1949 Jan. 1, 1950
Honduras Dec. 18, 1935 Mar. 2, 1936
Iceland Aug. 27, 1943 Nov. 19, 1943
India* Oct. 30, 1947 July 9, 1948
Iran Apr. 8, 1943 June 28, 1944
Lebanon* Oct. 30, 1947 July 30, 1948
Luxembourg** Oct. 30, 1947 Jan. 1, 1948
Mexico Dec. 23, 1942 Jan. 30, 1943
Netherlands** Oct. 30, 1947 Jan. 1, 1948
New Zealand* Oct. 30, 1947 July 31, 1948
Nicaragua Mar. 11, 1936 Oct. 1, 1936
Norway* Oct. 30, 1947 July 11, 1948
Pakistan* Oct. 30, 1947 July 31, 1948
Paraguay Sept. 12, 1946 Apr. 9, 1947
Peru May 7, 1942 July 29, 1942
Southern Rhodesia* Oct. 30, 1947 July 12, 1948
Sweden May 25, 1935 Aug. 5, 1935
Switzerland Jan. 9, 1936 Feb. 15, 1936
Syria* Oct. 30, 1947 July 31, 1948
Turkey Apr. 1, 1939 May 5, 1939
Union of South Africa* Oct. 30, 1947 June 14, 1948
United Kingdom** Oct. 30, 1947 Jan. 1, 1948
Uruguay July 21, 1942 Jan. 1, 1943
Venezuela Nov. 6, 1939 Dec. 16, 1939

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Countries with which the United States had concluded bilateral trade agreements previously to their becoming contracting parties to the General Agreement, and the present status of these previous agreements, are as follows:

Country Signed Effective Present status
Belgium Feb. 27, 1935 May 1, 1935 Inoperative
Brazil Feb. 2, 1935 Jan. 1, 1936 Inoperative
Canada (1st agreement) Nov. 15, 1935 Jan. 1, 1936 Superseded
“ (2nd agreement) Nov. 17, 1938 Jan. 1, 1939 Inoperative
“ (1st fox fur) Dec. 30, 1939 Jan. 1, 1940 Superseded
“ (2nd fox fur) Dec. 13, 1940 Dec. 20, 1940 Terminated
Cuba Aug. 24, 1934 Sept. 3, 1934 Inoperative
“ (1st supplementary) Dec. 18, 1939 Dec. 23, 1939 Inoperative
“ (2nd supplementary) Dec. 23, 1941 Jan. 5, 1942 Inoperative
Czechoslovakia Mar. 7, 1938 Apr. 16, 1938 Terminated
France May 6, 1936 June 15, 1936 Inoperative
Haiti Mar. 28, 1935 June 3, 1935 Superseded
Luxemburg Feb. 27, 1935 May 1, 1935 Inoperative
Netherlands Dec. 20, 1935 Feb. 1, 1936 Inoperative
United Kingdom Nov. 17, 1938 Jan. 1, 1939 Inoperative

  1. Comprehensive collection of files on commercial trade policy, the question of an international trade organization, and the negotiation, conclusion, and operation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), as assembled and maintained in various economic offices of the Department of State principally during the years 1934–1951.
  2. For the text of the Protocol of Provisional Application of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, concluded at Geneva, Switzerland on October 30, 1947, see Department of State Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS) No. 1700 or 61 Stat. (pts. 5 and 6). For documentation on the Geneva negotiations leading to the conclusion of the General Agreement, see Foreign Relations, 1947, vol. i, pp. 909 ff. For bibliographic and historical information regarding GATT, see ibid., 1949, vol. i, p. 651, footnote 2.
  3. The duty concessions and certain other provisions of this agreement ceased to be in force as of March 10, 1938. [Footnote in the source text.]