is hereby extended and continued in force for a further period of five years from May 28, 1914. ARTICLE II The present Convention shall be ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and by His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, etc., and Apostolic King of Hungary; and it shall become effective upon the date of the exchange of ratifications, which shall take place at Washington as soon as possible. In testimony whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed this Convention and have affixed thereto their seals. Done in duplicate at Washington, this 6th day of May, one thousand nine hundred and fourteen. Belgium' COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION Treaty signed at Brussels November 10, 1845 Ratified by Belgium January 17, 1846 Senate advice and consent to ratification March 26, 1846 Ratified by the President of the United States March 30, 1846 Entered into force March 30, 1846 Proclaimed by the President of the United States March 31, 1846 2 8 Stat. 606; Treaty Series 199 TREATY OF COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND HIS MAJESTY THE KING of the BelgianS The United States of America, on the one part, and His Majesty the King of the Belgians on the other part, wishing to regulate in a formal manner, their reciprocal relations of commerce and navigation, and further to strengthen through the development of their interests respectively, the bonds of friendship and good understanding, so happily established between the Governments and People of the two countries; and desiring with this view, to conclude, by common agreement, a treaty establishing conditions equally advantageous to the commerce and navigation of both states, have, to that effect, appointed as their Plenipotentiaries, namely: The President of the United States Thomas G. Clemson, Chargé d'affaires of the United States of America 1 See also post, BELGO-LUXEMBOURG ECONOMIC UNION. Pursuant to notice of termination given by Belgium Aug. 20, 1857. However, a declaration signed July 17, 1858, by the Secretary of State and the Belgian Chargé provided that "... it is hereby declared to be the wish and intention of the Undersigned that the commercial relations of the two countries shall, after the latter date [Aug. 20, 1858], continue on the same footing as previously until the stipulations of the Convention signed this day [TS 20, post, p. 454] shall have gone into effect as therein provided." For a detailed study of this treaty, see 4 Miller 761. to His Majesty the King of the Belgians-And His Majesty the King of the Belgians, M. Adolphe Dechamps, officer of the order of Leopold., Knight of the order of the red Eagle of the first class, Grand Cross of the order of St Michel of Bavaria, His Minister for Foreign Affairs, a member of the Chamber of Representants, Who, after having communicated to each other their full powers, ascertained to be in good and proper form, have agreed and concluded the following articles. ARTICLE I There shall be full and entire freedom of commerce and navigation, between the inhabitants of the two countries; and the same security and protection, which is enjoyed by the citizens or subjects of each country, shall be guarantied on both sides. The said inhabitants, whether established or temporarily residing within any ports, cities or places whatever, of the two countries, shall not, on account of their commerce or industry, pay any other or higher duties, taxes, or imposts, than those which shall be levied on citizens or subjects of the country, in which they may be; and the privileges, immunities and other favours, with regard to commerce or industry, enjoyed by the citizens or subjects of one of the two states, shall be common to those of the other. ARTICLE II Belgian vessels, whether coming from a Belgian or a foreign port, shall not pay, either on entering or leaving the ports of the United States, whatever may be their destination, any other or higher duties of tonnage, pilotage, anchorage, buoys, light-houses, clearance, brokerage, or generally other charges whatsoever, than are required from vessels of the United States in similar cases. This provision extends, not only to duties levied for the benefit of the State, but also to those levied for the benefit of provincies, cities, [countries [counties], districts, townships, corporations, or any other divisions or jurisdiction, whatever may be its designation. ARTICLE III Reciprocally, vessels of the United States, whether coming from a port of said states, or from a foreign port, shall not pay, either on entering or leaving the ports of Belgium, whatever may be their destination, any other or higher duties of tonnage, pilotage, anchorage, buoys, light-houses, clearance, brokerage, or generally, other charges whatever, than are required from Belgian vessels, in similar cases. This provision extends not only to duties levied for the benefit of the state, but also to those levied for the benefit of provinces, cities, countries, districts, townships, corporations, or any other division or jurisdiction, whatever be its designation. ARTICLE IV The restitution by Belgium, of the duty levied by the Government of the Netherlands, on the navigation of the scheldt, in virtue of the third paragraph, of the ninth article, of the Treaty of April nineteenth, eighteen hundred and thirty nine, is guarantied to the vessels of the United States. ARTICLE V Steam vessels of the United States and of Belgium, engaged in regular navigation, between the United States and Belgium, shall be exempt in both countries, from the payment of duties of tonnage, anchorage, buoys, and light-houses. ARTICLE VI As regards the coasting trade, between the ports of either country, the vessels of the two nations shall be treated on both sides, on the same footing with the vessels of the most favoured nation. ARTICLE VII Articles of every description, whether proceeding from the soil, industry or warehouses of Belgium, directly imported therefrom, into the ports of the United-States, in Belgian vessels, shall pay no other or higher duties of import, than if they were imported under the flag of said States. And, reciprocally, articles of every description directly imported into Belgium from the united states, under the flag of the said states, shall pay no other or higher duties, than if they were imported under the Belgian flag. It is well understood: 1o, that the goods shall have been really put on board, in the ports from which they are declared respectively to come. 2°, that a putting-in at an intermediate port, produced by uncontrollable circumstances, duly proved, does not occasion the forfeiture of the advantage allowed to direct importation. ARTICLE VIII Articles of every description, imported into the United States, from other countries than Belgium, under the Belgian flag, shall pay no other, or higher duties whatsoever, than if they had been imported under the flag of the most favoured foreign nation, other than the flag of the country from which the importation is made. And reciprocally, articles of every description, imported under the flag of the United States into Belgium from other countries than the United States, shall pay no other or higher duties whatsoever, than if they had been imported under the flag of the foreign nation most favoured, other than that of the country from which the importation is made. ARTICLE IX Articles of every description, exported by Belgian vessels, or by those of the United States of America, from the ports of either country, to any country whatsoever, shall be subjected to no other duties or formalities, than such as are required for exportation, under the flag of the country where the shipment is made. ARTICLE X All premiums, drawbacks, or other favours of like nature, which may be allowed in the states of either of the contracting parties, upon goods imported or exported in national vessels, shall be likewise, and in the same manner, allowed upon goods imported directly from one of the two countries, by its vessels, into the other, or exported from one of the two countries by the vessels of the other to any destination whatsoever. ARTICLE XI The preceding article is, however, not to apply to the importation of salt, and of the produce of the national fisheries; each of the two parties reserving to itself, the faculty of granting special privileges, for the importation of those articles, under its own flag. ARTICLE XII The high contracting parties agree to consider and to treat as Belgian vessels, and as vessels of the United States, all those which being provided by the competent authority with a passport, Sea Letter, or any other sufficient document, shall be recognised conformably with existing laws, as national vessels in the country to which they respectively belong. ARTICLE XIII Belgian vessels and those of United States may, conformably with the Laws of the two countries, retain on board, in the ports of both, such parts of their cargoes as may be destined for a foreign country; and such parts shall not be subjected, either while they remain on board, or upon reexportation, to any charges whatsoever, other than those for the prevention of smuggling. ARTICLE XIV During the period allowed by the laws of the two countries respectively for the warehousing of goods, no duties, other than those of watch and storeage, shall be levied upon articles brought from either country, into the other, while awaiting transit, re-exportation, or entry for consumption. Such goods shall in no case be subject to higher warehouse charges, or to other formalities, than if they had been imported under the flag of the country. |