DECEMBER 10, 1936
NEWS EDITION
Costa Rica Signs Trade Agreem e n t w i t h United S t a t e s O t t o W i l s o n , 3025 F i f t e e n t h S t . , N . W . , Washington, D. C. between C o s t a Rica ATaRnAdD Et hagreement e United States, t h e fifteenth such p a c t to be concluded under t h e T r a d e Agreement A c t of 1934 a n d t h e eighth with a Latin American country, was signed November 28. I t will come into effect 30 days after i t s proclamation by t h e President of C o s t a Rica a n d the President of t h e United S t a t e s . I t is subject t o the approval of t h e C o s t a Rican Congress, which is now in session. I n its general provisions t h e agreement follows t h e lines of those t h a t have preceded it in t h e present series. I t is intended t o restore a t r a d e which has been drastically reduced during t h e depression years a n d is only in t h e present year showing some signs of recovery. I n 1929 we sent S8,261,000 worth of o u r products to C o s t a Rica a n d received from that countrv goods valued a t $5,203,000, this trade dropping t o $2,282,000 of exports and $3,089,000 of imports in 1935. Our exports are mostly manufactured goods and foodstuffs, a n d a b o u t 95 p e r cent of our imports consist of coffee a n d banana*. T h e new agreement provides for reductions of Costa Rican duties o n United States goods covered b y 30 tariff items and assurances against increases in 11 other items, affecting altogether some 200 separate products. Our concessions to C o s t a Rica consist of binding on t h e free list coffee, bananas, cacao, a n d o t h e r leading articles in t h e import trade a n d reducing the duties o n pineapples, dried b a n a n a s , mango a n d guava paste a n d pulp, a n d prepared a n d preserved guavas. N o concessions on chemical products o r raw materials were made b y t h e United States. A number of products of chemical interest, however, appear o n t h e list of articles o n which Costa R i c a g r a n t s d u t y reductions. These articles, with the old a n d new rates stated in terms of colones per kilo (Costa Rican colon equals now a b o u t 18 cents, United S t a t e s currency, a n d kilo equals 2.2 pounds), together with t h e value of t h e t r a d e in each in 1929 a n d 1935, respectively, are a s follows:
OINTMENTS
AND
MEDICINAL
Duty reduced from $11,566 and $5050.
463 SALVES.
4 t o 2.50 colones;
YEAST, D R I E D OR PREPARED, FOR M E D I C I -
NAL U S E . Duty reduced from colones; $1444 and $20,895.
6 to 4
SERUMS AND VACCINES. N O T SPECIFIED.
Duty reduced from 6 to 3 colones; $4894 and $4174. DRY PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS OF VARIOUS KINDS. D u t y reduced from 6 t o 4
colones; .
