The Secretary of State to the Polish Ambassador (Filipowicz)18
Washington, June 15, 1931.
Excellency: I have the honor to communicate to Your Excellency my understanding of the agreement reached regarding the requirements for furnishing proof of the origin of imported merchandise entitled to the benefits of the treaty of friendship, commerce and consular rights signed this day on behalf of the United States of America and Poland.
In the event that proof of the origin of imported goods is required by either Party pursuant to the provisions of the tenth paragraph of Article VI of the treaty, it is agreed that
- (1)
- A declaration by the shipper in the country of origin legalized by a consular representative of the country of final destination resident in the country of origin shall be accepted as satisfactory proof of the origin of the goods. As far as certificates of origin for importation into the Polish customs territory are concerned, the above-mentioned shipper’s declaration before legalization by a consular representative of Poland, has to be certified by a competent Chamber of Commerce or similar organization, subject to the exceptions provided for in subparagraph (a) of paragraph (3) hereof.
- (2)
- For indirect shipments an acceptable alternative to the certificate of origin obtained in the country of origin as provided in paragraph (1) shall be proof of origin obtainable in the intermediate country from which the goods are last shipped to the country of final destination. Such proof shall consist of a declaration by the consignor of the goods in the intermediate country before a consular officer of the country of origin resident in the intermediate country, [Page 956] certified by the latter and approved by a consular representative of the country of final destination resident in the intermediate country, it being understood that the consular representatives of the country of origin shall not certify the shipper’s declaration for this purpose unless they are satisfied upon examination of documentary or other evidence that the statements made therein are true.
- (3)
- The attached form of certificate of origin19 for use in
connection with direct shipments from the United States to
Poland and the attached form for use in connection with
indirect shipments from the United States to Poland through
an intermediate country or countries, respectively, conform
to the provisions above set forth, it being understood and
agreed, however, that
- (a)
- If the circumstances of any particular case render it impracticable for the shipper of the goods to obtain certification on a certificate of origin by a Chamber of Commerce or similar organization, the certificate of origin may be submitted for authentication directly to a Polish consular officer, and the fact that certification by a Chamber of Commerce or similar organization has not been obtained shall not be considered by such consular officer as of itself sufficient ground for refusing to authenticate the document.
- (b)
- If at the time the certificate of origin is made out circumstances render it difficult or inconvenient for shippers to specify on such certificate the name of the vessel on which the goods are to be shipped, the necessities and convenience of shippers shall be taken into account either by waiving this requirement or by making such other provision as the circumstances of the case require.
- (c)
- In exceptional cases in which doubt exists regarding the exact proportion of the value of any given article represented by the costs of the labor and raw material of the United States, or in which such proportion is less than fifty per centum, but the article, in view of the nature and extent of the processes to which it has been subjected, is distinctly an American product, no certification regarding such proportion on a certificate of origin shall be required.
- Any article in which the raw material or the labor of the United States represents less than fifty per centum of the total value shall, nevertheless, be deemed to be a product of the United States if a like article from any third country representing less than fifty per centum in value the labor and raw material of such third country is deemed to be a product of that country.
- (4)
- In the event that modification of the requirements outlined in the preceding paragraphs is at any time considered desirable from the viewpoint of either Party, it is agreed that its proposals to this end shall be given sympathetic consideration by the other Party.
I shall be glad to have your confirmation of the accord thus reached.
Accept [etc.]
Henry L.
Stimson