Evening star., 1901-11-22
Reciprocity Treaties in Operation and
Pending.
AGREEMENTS THAT NO LONGER EXIST
Conventions That Are Awaiting
Ratification.
THEIR PROVISIONS OUTLINED

The special interest in the reciprocity his
tory of the United States awakened by the
discussion which has been in progress here
during the week suggested to the treasury
bureau of statistics a concise presentation
of the history of the reciprocity treaties
and agreements which the United States
has had in the past, those now in operation
and those awaiting action by Congress
Canada and Hawaii.
The list of reciprocity agreements since
1850 consists of a. an agreement made with
Canada which operated from 1856 to 1866,
under which the United States admitted
free Of duty from Canada breadstuffs, pro-
visions, live animals. fruits poultry, hides,
skins and furs, ores and metals, timber and
lumber, cotton, fax and hemp and unman-
ufactured tobacco; Canada also admitting
the same articles from the United States
free of duty.
2) An agreement with the Hawaiian Is
lands existed from 1876 to 1900 by which
the United States admitted free of duty
sugar and molasses and other tropical prod
ucts of those islands, and they admitted
free of duty breadstuffs, provisions and
general merchandise from the United
States
Uuder Act of 1890.
90 The treaties made in 1892, under the
act of 1890. with Brazil Spain for Cuba and
Porto Rico, United Kingdom, for the British
West Indies and British Guiana, Dominican
Republic. Salvador, Nicaragua and Guate-
mala in Central America, and Germany,
France and Austria-Hungary Under these
the United States agreed to admit free of
duty sugar, molasses, coffee and hides from
the countries mentioned and in exchange
for that privilege those countries agreed to
the following concessions on goods from
the United States: Brazil, the free admiS
sion of wheat, -four, corn and oats, meal,
hov har
fish, cottonseed oil, coal, naval stores, agri-
cultural implements. manufacturing and
mechanical tools, engines, mining machinery
and na terial for railway construction and
equipment, also a % per cent reduction in
the duty on lard, hams, butter, cheese, pre-
served meats, fruits and vegetables, cotton
manufactures iron and steel manufac-
lures lumber, timber, wood manufactures,
wagons and carriages and manufactures of
rubber. With Spain, for the admission into
Cuba and Porto Rico of the following ar
ticles free Of duty: Meats, fish, wood for
cooperate and building, wagons, carts,
cars for railways, sewing machines, man
ufactures of iron and steel, oats and forage
and numerous other articles, also reduced
rate of duty on wheat, flour and many man
ufactured articles. With the United King
dom, for the British West Indies, an agree
ment similar to that above named with
reference to Cuba and Porto Rico. Similar
agreements with Nicaragua, Honduras,
Guatemala Salvador and the Dominican Re
public With Germany, the free admission
of the following articles from the United
States: Bran, fax, feathers, hides and
skins, tan bark, also a large list of articles
at reduced rate of duty. With Austria
Hungary, an agreement similar to that with
Germany.
Under Act of 1897.
~ Agreement made in 1898, under the
act of 1897, with France by which the
United States reduces the rate Of duty on
tartar, brandies, still wines and paintings,
and France extends its minimum tariff
rates to canned and prepared meats, also
fruits. hops, timber and lumber in the
United States Similar agreements were
also made in 1900 with Germany, Portugal
and Italy All of the recent agreements
with France, Germany, Portugal and Italy
are now In existence.
Pending Treaties.
The pending unratified treaties from
which the injunction of secrecy has been
removed, provided for % the reduction of
1914 per cent duty on sugar, molasses,
fruits and asphalt from the British West
Indies and Guiana and the removal or re-
duction of the duty on a large list of agri-
cultural products and manufactures enter
ing those colonies from the United States.
(2 A reduction of 20 per cent in the duty
on sugar. hides and certain grades Of wool
from Argentina entering the United States
and reduction in the Argentina duty on a
large llSI OF IOOQStuuS ana manufactures
from the United States. g. A reduction of
from to 20 per cent on certain manufac-
lures entering the United States from
France and the application Of the minimum
tariff of France to most of the articles en-
tering that country from the United States.
In addition to these there are pending
treaties with Nicaragua, Ecuador, the Dan
ish West Indies and the Dominican Repub-
lie, from which the injunction of secrecy
has not as yet been removed.
Treaties and Agreements.
The following statement shows the full
list of the reciprocity agreements and
treaties which the United States has made
and put into operation since 1850. also those
pending and unratifed: