# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/16th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 11

Chap. XI.—An Act to provide for obtaining accurate statements of the foreign commerce of the United States.
The register of the treasury to prepare statistical accounts of the commerce of the United States. To be laid before Congress.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the register of the treasury shall, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, annually prepare statistical accounts of the commerce of the United States with foreign countries, for each preceding year; which accounts shall be laid before Congress, by the Secretary of the Treasury, on the first Monday in December in every year, or as soon after as possible.
Of goods, &c. exported. Of goods, &c. imported. Of all navigation employed in foreign trade.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That such accounts shall comprehend and state all goods, wares, and merchandise, exported from the United States to other countries; all goods, wares, and merchandise, imported into the United States from other countries; and all navigation employed in the foreign trade of the United States; which facts shall be stated according to the principles, and in the manner, hereby directed.
Principles and manner of stating the exports and imports.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the kinds, quantities, and values, of all articles, exported, and the kinds, quantities, and values, of all articles imported, shall be distinctly stated in such accounts; except in cases in which it may appear to the Secretary of the Treasury that separate statements of the species, quantities, or values, of any particular articles, would swell the annual statements without utility; and, in such cases, the kinds and total values of such articles shall be stated together, or in such classes as the Secretary of the Treasury may think fit.
Exports, &c. to and from each country, and values, to be stated.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the exports shall be so stated as to show the exports to each foreign country, and their values; and that the imports shall be so stated, as to show the imports from each foreign country, and their values.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the exports shall be so stated, ​Country of the exported product or manufacture, and values, to be stated.as to show, separately, the exports of articles of the production or manufacture of the United States, and their values; and the exports of articles of the production or manufacture of foreign countries, and their values.
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the navigation, employed in the foreign trade of the United States, shall be stated in such manner, as to show the amount of the tonnageManner of stating the navigation. of all vessels departing from the United States for foreign countries; and, separately, the amount of such tonnage of vessels of the United States, and the amount of such tonnage of foreign vessels; and also the foreign nations to which such foreign tonnage belongs, and the amount of such tonnage belonging to each foreign nation; and in such manner as also to show the amount of the tonnage of all vessels departing for every particular foreign country, with which the United States have any considerable commerce; and, separately, the amount of such tonnage of vessels of the United States, and the amount of such tonnage of foreign vessels; and, in such manner as to show the amount of the tonnage of all vessels arriving in the United States from foreign countries; and, separately, the amount of such tonnage of vessels of the United States, and the amount of such tonnage of foreign vessels; and, also, the foreign nations to which such foreign tonnage belongs, and the amount of such tonnage belonging to each foreign nation; and, in such manner, as also to show the amount of the tonnage of all vessels arriving from every particular foreign country, with which the United States have any considerable commerce; and, separately, the amount of such tonnage of vessels of the United States, and the amount of such tonnage of foreign vessels.
Manner of ascertaining the kinds and quantities of imported articles free from duty. And their values.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That the kinds and quantities of all imported articles free from duty shall be ascertained by entry, made upon oath or affirmation, by the owner, or by the consignee or agent of the importer; or by actual examination, where the collector shall think such examination necessary: and that the values of all such articles shall be ascertained in the same manner in which the values of imports subject to duties ad valorem are ascertained.
Manner of ascertaining the values of articles subject to specific duties. Collectors to keep separate accounts as the Secretary of the Treasury may direct. Articles exported to be values at actual cost. Articles imported to be valued at actual cost.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That the values of all imported articles subject to specific duties, shall be ascertained in the manner in which the values of imports subject to duties ad valorem are ascertained.
Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That the collectors shall keep separate accounts of the kinds, quantities, and values, of such parts of the imports subject to duties ad valorem, as may be directed by the Secretary of the Treasury.
Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That all articles exported shall be valued at their actual cost, or the values which they may truly hear at the time of exportation, in the ports of the United States from which they are exported: and that all articles imported shall be valued at their actual cost, or the values which they may truly bear in the foreign ports from which they are exported for importation into the United States, at the time of such exportation.
Manifests to be delivered and verified on oath or affirmation. Manifests to specify kinds, quantities, and value. Tenor of the oath or affirmation.Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That before a clearance shall be granted for any vessel bound to a foreign place, the owners, shippers, or consignors, of the cargo on board of such vessel, shall deliver to the collector manifests of the cargo, or the parts thereof shipped by them respectively, and shall verify the same by oath or affirmation; and such manifests shall specify the kinds and quantities of the articles shipped by them respectively, and the value of the total quantity of each kind of articles, and such oath or affirmation shall state that such manifest contains a full, just, and true, account of all articles laden on board of such vessel by the owners, shippers, or consignors, respectively, and that the values of such articles are truly stated, according to their actual cost, or the values which they truly bear at the port and time of exportation; and, ​Where the cargo is to be landed to be stated on oath or affirmation.before a clearance shall be granted for any such vessel, the master of every such vessel, and the owners, shippers, and consignors, of the cargo, shall state, upon oath or affirmation, to the collector, the foreign place or country in which such cargo is truly intended to be landed; and the said oaths or affirmation shall be taken and subscribed in writing.
Accounts of national characters and tonnage of vessels departing and arriving to be kept.Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That every collector shall keep an accurate account of the national characters and tonnage of all vessels which depart from his district for foreign countries, and of the foreign places or countries for which such vessels depart; and, also, an accurate account of the national characters and tonnage of all vessels which enter his district from foreign countries, and of the foreign places or countries from which such vessels arrive.
Quarterly returns to the register.Sec. 13. And be it further enacted, That the several collectors shall make quarter yearly returns to the register of the treasury, of all the facts and masters which they are hereby required to ascertain.
Secretary of the Treasury to give directions and prescribe rules and forms.Sec. 14. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall give such directions to the collectors, and prescribe such rules and forms to be observed by them, as may appear to him proper for attaining the objects of this act: Provided, That such directions or rules shall not be contrary to the provisions of any law of the United States.
Secretary of Treasury to determine the forms of the statements.Sec. 15. And be it further enacted, That the forms of the annual statements hereby required shall be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall prescribe such forms as may be proper to exhibit the facts hereby required to be stated in the clearest manner, and to show the actual state of commerce and navigation between the United States and foreign countries in each year.
Act in force from 30th Sept. 1820.Sec. 16. And be it further enacted, That this act shall be in force from the thirtieth day of September next.
Approved, February 10, 1820.