Acting Deputy Collector SUMMARY OF EXAMINATION AND APPRAISEMENT 19 The examination and appraisement of the merchandise covered by this invoice has been made in accordance with the law, and the facts as found are set forth below. (A check mark (1) indicates that appraisement, classification, or quantities are as entered or that packing charges are believed to be correct.) (Signature.) (Address.) (Principal. Member of the firm. D.. (Title) Authorized agent. Declared to under oath before me at New York this. day of. 193 (Tidle or designation) DECLARATION OF CONSIGNEE OR AGENT FOR MERCHANDISE OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN IN PURSUANCE OF A PURCHASE OR AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE I, the undersigned, herewith declare that this entry exhibits a full and complete account of all the merchandise Imported by the consignee in whose agreement to purchase, except I further declare, if the merchandise is entered by means of a seller's or shipper's invoice, that no certified invoice for any of the merchandise covered by the said seller's or shipper's invoice can be produced due to causes beyond my control; and that if entered by means of a statement of the value or the price paid in the form of an invoice It is because neither seller's, shipper's, nor certified invoice can be produced at this time. Appraiser Assistant Appraiser ABBREVIATIONS.-Correct, "C."; advanced, "Adv."; reduced, "Red."; rate advanced, "R. A."; rate reduced, "R. R."; excem quantity, "E."; shortage in quantity, "8."; not legally marked, "N. L. M."; importer's certified value, "I. O. V."; warehouse, "W."; prohibited, "P." -13444 Figure 47.-Summary of examination and appraisement. FOREIGN QUARANTINE REGULATIONS Import quarantine regulations apparently were initiated by Denmark in 1876 and the institution of similar regulations by other European countries proceeded at such a pace that by about 1900 regulations prohibiting or restricting the movement of plants and plant products were in existence in many European markets. It was not until August 20, 1912, that the United States Plant Quarantine Act was passed. Plant quarantine regulations, scientifically established and of a degree of restriction commensurate with the risk involved, are desirable and necessary. If their promulgation is made as a result of scientific investigation, without political or economic influence, and with the opportunity being given to all interested parties, particularly including representatives of the appropriate foreign countries, to present their arguments pro and con, import quarantine regulations should represent only a minimum deterrent to the free movement of international trade. UNITED STATES QUARANTINE REGULATIONS The procedure described above is essentially that followed in the United States. The Plant Quarantine Act as amended states "Provided that before the Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate his determination that it is necessary to forbid the importation into the United States of the articles named in this section he shall, after due notice to interested parties, give a public hearing, under such rules and regulations as he shall prescribe, at which hearing any interested party may appear and be heard, either in person or by attorney". It is understood that there have been few hearings in connection with a proposed import quarantine which were not attended by some representative of the foreign country interested. In this connection, however, it should be noted that the representative of the foreign country is normally not a technical man, and consequently is not fully equipped to present his country's case. In foreign countries it is the general rule that no public hearings are held in connection with proposed import quarantines. CHANGES IN DUTY-RECIPROCAL TRADE AGREEMENTS Formerly duties on imports were changed only when a new United States tariff law was passed, or by proclamation of the President after investigation by the Tariff Commission under the so-called flexible clause of recent tariff laws. With the passage of the Reciprocity Tariff Act, duties are now changed on many items with the going into effect of each new trade agreement. The unconditional most-favored-nation clause in our treaties with many countries assures the application of the same rate of duty, on specific commodities imported from them, as is charged any other country on whose similar imported commodity we may reduce the import duty by a trade agreement. These new duties are made available to importers as soon as they become effective through proclamation of the President. Their application even to most-favored nations' imports may be withheld if the President finds that such a nation is discriminating against the United States in the administration of its own tariff laws. |