Commercial Convention between Canada and France.

Signed at Paris, December 15, 1922.

HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND AND OF THE BRITISH DOMINIONS BEYOND THE SEAS, EMPEROR OF INDIA, and THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, being desirous of improving and extending the commercial relations between Canada and France, have resolved to conclude a Convention and have named as their respective Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:

HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND AND OF THE BRITISH DOMINIONS BEYOND THE SEAS, EMPEROR OF INDIA:

His Excency the Right Honourable Baron HARDINGE of PENSHURST, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Noble Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Imperial Service Order, His Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the French Republic;

The Honourable William Stevens FIELDING, a Member of His Majesty's Honourable Privy Council for Canada, a Member of the Parliament of Canada, Minister of Finance and Receiver General of Canada;

The Honourable Ernest LAPOINTE, a Member of His Majesty's Honourable Privy Council for Canada, a Member of the Parliament of Canada, Minister of Marine and Fisheries of Canada:

And THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC: M. Raymond POINCARÉ, Senator, President of Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs;

M. Lucien DIOR, Member of the Chamber of Deputies, Minister of Commerce;

Who, after communicating to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following articles:

ARTICLE 1.

The natural and manufactured products originating in and coming from Canada enumerated in Schedule A to this Convention shall enjoy when imported into France, the French Colonies, Possessions and Protectorates having the same customs tariff as France the benefit of the minimum tariff and of the lowest rates of duties as

Convention de Commerce entre le Canada et la France.

Signée à Paris, le 15 décembre 1922.

SA MAJESTE LE ROI DU ROYAUME-UNI DE GRANDEBRETAGNE ET D'IRLANDE ET DES TERRITOIRES BRITANNIQUES AU DELA DES MERS, EMPEREUR DES INDES, ET LE PRESIDENT DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE, également animés du désir de favoriser le développement des Relations Commerciales entre le Canada et la France, ont résolu de conclure une Convention à cet effet et ont nommé pour leurs plénipotentiaires respectifs, savoir:

SA MAJESTE LE ROI DU ROYAUME-UNI DE GRANDEBRETAGNE ET D'IRLANDE ET DES TERRITOIRES BRITANNIQUES AU DELA DES MERS, EMPEREUR DES INDES:

Son Excellence le Très Honorable Baron HARDINGE of PENSHURST, Chevalier du Très Noble Ordre de la Jarretière, Chevalier Grand-Croix du Très Noble Ordre du Bain; Chevalier Grand Commandeur de l'Ordre très distingué de l'Etoile des Indes, Chevalier Grand-Croix de l'Ordre très distingué de Saint-Michel et SaintGeorge, Chevalier Grand Commandeur de l'Ordre très éminent de l'Empire des Indes, Chevalier Grand-Croix de l'Ordre Royal de Victoria, Compagnon de l'Ordre du Service Impérial, Ambassadeur extraordinaire et Plénipotentiaire de Sa Majesté près le Gouvernement de la République Française;

L'Honorable William Stevens FIELDING, membre de l'Honorable Conseil privé de Sa Majesté pour le Canada, membre du Parlement du Canada, Ministre des Finances du Canada;

L'Honorable Ernest LAPOINTE, membre de l'Honorable Conseil privé de Sa Majesté pour le Canada, membre du Parlement du Canada, Ministre de la Marine et des Pêcheries du Canada;

ET LE PRÉSIDENT DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE : M. Raymond POINCARÉ, Sénateur, Président du Conseil, Ministre des Affaires Étrangères;

M. Lucien DIOR, Député, Ministre du Commerce;

Lesquels, après s'être communiqué leurs pleins pouvoirs respectifs, trouvés en bonne et due forme, sont convenus des articles suivants :

ARTICLE PREMIER.

Les produits naturels ou fabriqués, originaires et en provenance du Canada, énumérés à la liste A annexée au présent Traité, seront admis à leur importation en France, dans les Colonies, Possessions et Protectorats français qui ont le même régime douanier que la France, au bénéfice du Tarif minimum et des taux les plus réduits,

1297 Wt.

8/23 [9350] 1250 11/23 F.O.P. [10709]

12

regards present import duties and taxes and as regards any such duties or taxes which France may hereafter establish and also as regards surtaxes, co-efficients or other temporary increases that France may establish.

ARTICLE 2.

The grant of the minimum tariff for the products enumerated in Schedule A means the treatment of the Most Favoured Nation as respects such products, but does not entitle Canada to claim the benefit of any preferential advantage which France may grant to her Protectorates or the benefit of any tariff resulting from economic agreements which France may enter into with border States, or the benefits of any tariff which France may grant for products the importation of which is designed to facilitate financial settlements with those countries that were at war with France during the years 1914-1918.

ARTICLE 3.

The natural and manufactured products originating in and coming from Canada enumerated in Schedule B to this Convention. when imported into France, the French Colonies, Possessions and Protectorates having the same customs tariff as France shall enjoy the benefit of the percentages of reduction mentioned in the said Schedule, such percentages to bear on the difference between the rates of the general tariff and those of the minimum tariff. These percentages shall remain the same whatever increase or decrease of tariff duties, surtaxes or co-efficients France may establish in the future.

ARTICLE 4.

If France shall at any time grant to the United States of America as regards any of the products mentioned in Schedule B to the present Convention percentages more favourable than those mentioned in the said Schedule, or the benefit of the minimum tariff, the same or similar products originating in and coming from Canada shall immediately and unconditionally enjoy the benefit of the said concessions.

ARTICLE 5.

All products originating in and coming from Canada other than those mentioned in Schedules A and B to this Convention shall be subject in France to the rates of the general tariff of 1910 as long as by virtue of the French decree of March 28th, 1921, such tariff shall continue to be applicable to the products of the United States of America other than those specified in Schedule A and Schedule B to the French law of March 29th, 1910.

If the United States of America should at any time cease to enjoy the benefit of the French decree of March 28th 1921, products of Canada other than those enumerated in Schedules A and B to this Convention shall enjoy a reduction of twenty-five per cent. on the

tant en ce qui concerne les droits et taxes à l'importation actuellement établis ou ceux que la France pourrait éventuellement leur substituer, qu'en ce qui concerne les surtaxes, coefficients ou autres majorations temporaires que la France a établis ou pourrait établir.

ARTICLE 2.

L'octroi du Tarif minimum pour les produits énumérés à la liste A implique le traitement de la Nation la plus favorisée, mais n'autorise pas cependant le Canada à réclamer le bénéfice des avantages préférentiels que la France pourrait accorder à ses protectorats, ou le bénéfice de tarifs qui pourraient résulter d'arrangements économiques que la France pourrait conclure avec des Etats limitrophes, ou le bénéfice des tarifs que la France pourrait accorder éventuellement aux produits dont l'importation est destinée à faciliter des règlements financiers avec les pays qui ont été en état de guerre avec la France pendant les années 1914-1918.

ARTICLE 3.

Les produits naturels ou fabriqués originaires et en provenance du Canada, énumérés à la liste B ci-annexée, bénéficieront à leur importation en France ou dans les Colonies, Possessions et Protectorats français qui ont le même régime douanier que la France, des pourcentages de réduction indiqués à ladite liste, lesquels porteront sur l'écart entre les taux du tarif général et ceux du tarif minimum. Ces pourcentages resteront les mêmes quels que soient les relèvements ou abaissements de tarifs, surtaxes ou coefficients que la France pourrait instituer dans l'avenir.

ARTICLE 4.

Si la France accorde aux États-Unis d'Amérique, en ce qui concerne n'importe lequel des produits énumérés à l'annexe B de cette Convention, des pourcentages plus favorables que ceux indiqués dans ladite annexe ou le bénéfice du Tarif minimum les produits identiques ou similaires originaires et en provenance du Canada jouiront immédiatement et sans condition du bénéfice desdites concessions.

ARTICLE 5.

Tous produits originaires et en provenance du Canada autres que ceux qui sont énumérés aux Listes A et B ci-annexées, seront soumis en France au taux du tarif général de 1910, aussi longtemps qu'en vertu du Décret du 28 mars 1921 ce tarif demeure applicable aux produits des États-Unis autres que ceux visés à la Liste A et à la Liste B annexées à la loi du 29 mars 1910.

Si à un moment quelconque, les Etats-Unis cessaient de jouir du bénéfice du Décret du 28 mars 1921, les produits autres que ceux énumérés aux Listes A et B de la présente Convention bénéficieraient d'une réduction de 25 p. 100 sur la différence entre le tarif général et

difference between the French general tariff and minimum tariff, whatever the rates of these tariffs may be.

If at any time France grants to the United States of America for any products other than those enumerated in Schedules A and B to this Convention more favourable treatment than is granted to Canada, Canada shall be entitled to claim the benefit of the same treatment for any identical or similar products originating in and coming from Canada, on condition that France shall be entitled to ask from Canada a reasonable and equivalent concession. France undertakes to give due consideration to any claim thus put forward by Canada and promptly to make known what concession of a similar nature she wishes to receive in return. The Governments of the two countries undertake to examine these questions in a friendly spirit and with a mutual desire to arrive at an equitable agreement.

ARTICLE 6.

The natural and manufactured products originating in and coming from Canada shall enjoy in the French Colonies, Possessions and Protectorates not having the same customs tariff as France the benefit of the tariff which may be applied there to the products of the Most Favoured Foreign Nation.

If the régime applied to the most favoured foreign nation does rot grant in the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon the benefit of the minimum tariff for any of the products mentioned in Schedule C the lowest tariff in force in these islands shall nevertheless apply to the said products originating in and coming from Canada.

ARTICLE 7.

If under the preceding Articles the French minimum tariff does not apply to foodstuffs originating in and coming from Canada these products shall nevertheless enjoy the benefit of the said tariff upon their importation into the French West Indies and French Guiana.

ARTICLE 8.

The natural and manufactured products originating in and coming from France and from the French Colonies, Possessions and Protectorates shall be admitted into Canada under the rates of the intermediate tariff or of any more favourable tariff that Canada may grant to the products of any other foreign country.

ARTICLE 9.

The natural and manufactured products originating in and coming from France, the French Colonies, Possessions and Protectorates enumerated in Schedule D to this Convention shall enjoy on their importation into Canada the benefit of the rates mentioned in the said Schedule as well as any more favourable tariff that Canada may grant to the identical or similar products of any foreign country.