The New York Times/1918/11/11/New Rule on Exports to South America
NEW RULE ON EXPORTS TO SOUTH AMERICA
Restrictions Due to Shortage of Shipping—Amended Import Regulations.
Special to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10.—Provisions for the shipment of any commodity excepting coal, coke and fuel oil, and a new ruling on import licenses were announced today by the War Trade Board. In order to conserve tonnage, it has been decided to compel the shipper to carefully mark all shipments to the east coast of South America in the manner described in the following announcement:
1. The War Trade Board, after consultation with the Shipping Control Committee of the United States Shipping Board, announce in a new ruling, (W.T.B.R. 301,) the adoption of the following procedure, effective Nov. 18, 1918, for the obtaining of ocean shipping preference for shipments of any commodity, excepting coal, coke, and fuel oil, which are
(a) Destined to the following countries on the eastern coast of South America, viz., Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and the Argentine; or,
(b) Destined to any country or colony by way of Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and the Argentine.
2. On and after Nov. 18, 1918, application for licenses to export any commodity, excepting coal, coke, and fuel oil, to the destinations and in the manner mentioned above in paragraphs (a) and (b) must include one of each of the following papers properly executed:
An application on Form X to which should be attached:
Such information sheets as may be required by the regulations of the War Trade Board, as Form X-1, X-2, &c.
A supplemental information sheet, Form X-118.
3. On Form X-118 the applicant is required to give certain information as to the purposes for which the export shipment is to be made.
4. If an export licence is granted on such application the War Trade Board will mark thereon a preference number indicating the order of ocean shipping preference which the shipment to be made under such licences will receive. The ocean shipping preferences on licenses will be honored in accordance with the preference number, No. 1 taking preference over No. 2, No. 2 over No. 3, and No. 3 over No. 4, subject only to the exigencies of prompt loading and satisfactory stowage and cargo. Exporters making shipments under export licenses dated on and after the 1st day of December, 1918, must note on the bill of lading the serial number of the export license and the ocean shipping prefernce number, if any. Carriers in making their manifest must enter the export license number and ocean shipping preference number opposite each entry of goods covered by such export license. Carriers are required to file, immediately after the sailing of the vessel, an extra copy of the manifest with the Shipping Control Committee, 45 Broadway, New York City. ***
6. This procedure has been adopted because of the great shortage of shipping tonnage to the east coast of South America. The purposes are to insure speedy delivery to such countries of commodities essential to the obtaining in such countries of materials urgently needed by the United States and the countries associated with it in the prosecution of the war, and also, in so far as tonnage available will permit, to supply those articles necessary for the vital economic needs of the countries on the eastern coast of South America.
7. Exporters are warned that under present shipping conditions there will be considerable delay in obtaining space for commodities covered by licenses bearing the lower ocean shipping preference. It is the purpose of the War Trade Board, however, to continue to issues licenses with the preference number, so that, in the event that the shipping shall at any time improve, exportation may be made thereunder.
8. Holders of licenses issued which have not stamped thereon the ocean shipping reference should refile their application on form X, attaching thereto supplemental information sheets X-8 and X-118.
9. On and after the first day of December, 1918, all licenses for export to Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and the Argentine not bearing ocean shipping preference numbers will be considered in Class No. 4.
The War Trade Board also announced in a new ruling (W.T.B.R. 300) that general import license PBF No. 3 (see W.T.B.R. 234) has been amended so as to exclude therefrom wood chemicals and manufactures of rubber. Wood chemicals and manufactures of rubber from Canada or Newfoundland, therefore, will hereafter require an individual import license.
General import license PBF No. 3, so amended, will read:
Covering the importation into the United States from Canada and Newfoundland in all articles except those mentioned in the President's import proclamation of Nov. 28, 1917, and except calcium carbide, olive oil, tapioca, sago, peanuts, rabbit skins, toys, manufactures of cotton not produced in Canada, tallow, cocoa, beans, feathers, pumice, wheat products, acatate of lime, acetone, ketone, commercial and glacial acetic acid, acetic anhydride, methyl acetate, methyl acetone, wood alcohol, butyl alcohol, and manufactures of rubber.
Where commodities are restricted this general license covers them only when shipped by other than ocean transportation and when they originate in Canada and Newfoundland or in a country from which they would be licenses for importation direct. Shipment from Newfoundland to Canada and thence overland or by lake to the United States is not considered ocean transportation.
It is announced that in addition to the general license PBF No. 14, covering the importation of iron ore from Sweden and Spain when coming as ballast in ships returning from those countries (see W.T.B.R. 234) licenses may be issued for the importation of maximum total from all sources of 70,000 tons of low phosphorus iron ore from Spain, Sweden, Norway, and North Africa, provided the said ore be imported and entered prior to July 1, 1919. By low phosphorus iron ore is meant iron ore which contains in the proportion of not more than 12 per cent. of phosphorus to 50 per cent. of metallic iron. The total amount of low phosphorus iron ore so permitted to come forward will be allocated by the Bureau of Imports.