§ 503. — Facilitating work of foreign traveling salesmen; licenses and certificates of identification.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 22USC503]
TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE
CHAPTER 10--HEMISPHERAL RELATIONS
SUBCHAPTER I--GENERALLY
Sec. 503. Facilitating work of foreign traveling salesmen;
licenses and certificates of identification
Whereas the United States has entered into conventions with the
Governments of Uruguay, Guatemala, Salvador, Panama, and Venezuela which
were signed on August 27, 1918, December 3, 1918, January 28, 1919,
February 8, 1919, and July 3, 1919, respectively, for facilitating the
work of traveling salesmen; and
Whereas Articles I and II of each of said conventions read as
follows:
``Article I. Manufacturers, merchants, and traders domiciled within
the jurisdiction of one of the high contracting parties may operate as
commercial travelers either personally or by means of agents or
employees within the jurisdiction of the other high contracting party on
obtaining from the latter, upon payment of a single fee, a license which
shall be valid throughout its entire territorial jurisdiction.
``In case either of the high contracting parties shall be engaged in
war, it reserves to itself the right to prevent from operating within
its jurisdiction under the provisions of this treaty, or otherwise,
enemy nationals or other aliens whose presence it may consider
prejudicial to public order and national safety.
``Art. II. In order to secure the license above mentioned the
applicant must obtain from the country of domicile of the manufacturers,
merchants, and traders represented a certificate attesting his character
as commercial traveler. This certificate, which shall be issued by the
authority to be designated in each country for the purpose, shall be
visaed by the consul of the country in which the applicant proposes to
operate, and the authorities of the latter shall, upon the presentation
of such certificate, issue to the applicant the national license as
provided in Article I.''
Now, therefore, the Secretary of Commerce, or any person in the
Department of Commerce designated by him, is authorized to issue the
licenses and certificates of identification which are provided for by
the said Articles I and II, respectively, of the said conventions, or
which may be provided for by similar articles in any convention or
treaty that may, on and after September 22, 1922, be concluded by the
United States with a foreign government, and is further authorized to
collect a reasonable fee for each license and certificate of
identification issued. The amount of such fee shall be fixed by
regulations made by the Secretary of Commerce and shall be paid into the
Treasury of the United States quarterly.
(Sept. 22, 1922, ch. 414, 42 Stat. 1028.)
Treaties
Bilateral treaties of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation contain
provisions for the reciprocal treatment of commercial travelers which
generally state that:
``Commercial travelers representing nationals and companies of
either Party engaged in business within the territories thereof, upon
their entry into and departure from the territories of the other Party
and during their sojourn therein, be accorded most-favored-nation
treatment in respect of the customs and other matters, including,
subject to the exceptions in paragraph ___ of Article ___, taxes and
charges applicable to them, their samples and the taking of orders, and
regulations governing the exercise of their functions.''
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Country Date signed Entered into force Citation
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Argentina........................... July 27, 1853........... Dec. 20, 1854.......... 10 Stat. 1005
Austria............................. June 19, 1928........... May 27, 1931........... 47 Stat. 1876
Jan. 20, 1931........... May 27, 1931........... 47 Stat. 1899
Belgium............................. Feb. 21, 1961........... Oct. 3, 1963........... 14 UST 1284
Bolivia............................. May 13, 1858............ Nov. 9, 1862........... 12 Stat. 1003
Brunei.............................. June 23, 1850........... July 11, 1853.......... 10 Stat. 909
Colombia............................ Dec. 12, 1846........... June 10,1848........... 9 Stat. 881
Costa Rica.......................... July 10, 1851........... May 26, 1852........... 10 Stat. 916
Denmark............................. Oct. 1, 1951............ July 30, 1961.......... 12 UST 908
Estonia............................. Dec. 23, 1925........... May 22, 1926........... 44 Stat. 2379
Ethiopia............................ Sept. 7, 1951........... Oct. 8, 1953........... 4 UST 2134
Sept. 16, 1965.......... May 3, 1973............ 24 UST 2136
Oct. 20, 1972...........
Finland............................. Feb. 13, 1934........... Aug. 10, 1934.......... 49 Stat. 2659
Dec. 4, 1952............ Sept. 24, 1953......... 4 UST 2047
France.............................. June 24, 1822........... Feb. 12, 1823.......... 8 Stat. 278
July 17, 1919........... Jan. 10, 1921.......... 41 Stat. 1723
Nov. 25, 1959........... Dec. 21, 1960.......... 11 UST 2398
Germany, Federal Republic of........ Oct. 29, 1954........... July 14, 1956.......... 7 UST 1839
Greece.............................. Aug. 3, 1951............ Oct. 13, 1954.......... 5 UST 1829
Honduras............................ Dec. 7, 1927............ July 19, 1928.......... 45 Stat. 2618
India............................... July 3, 1815............ July 3, 1815........... 8 Stat. 228
Iran................................ Aug. 15, 1955........... June 16, 1957.......... 8 UST 899
Iraq................................ Dec. 3, 1938............ June 19, 1940.......... 54 Stat. 1790
Ireland............................. Jan. 21, 1950........... Sept. 14, 1950......... 1 UST 785
Israel.............................. Aug. 23, 1951........... Apr. 3, 1954........... 5 UST 550
Italy............................... Feb. 2, 1948............ July 26, 1949.......... 63 Stat. 2255
Sept. 26, 1951.......... Mar. 2, 1961........... 12 UST 131
Japan............................... Apr. 2, 1953............ Oct. 30, 1953.......... 4 UST 2063
Korea............................... Nov. 28, 1956........... Nov. 7, 1957........... 8 UST 2217
Latvia.............................. Apr. 20, 1928........... July 25, 1928.......... 45 Stat. 2641
Liberia............................. Aug. 8, 1938............ Nov. 21, 1939.......... 54 Stat. 1739
Luxembourg.......................... Feb. 23, 1962........... Mar. 28, 1963.......... 14 UST 251
Madagascar.......................... See France.............. 1896 .......................
Malta............................... See United Kingdom......
Morocco............................. Sept. 16, 1836.......... Jan. 28, 1837.......... 8 Stat. 484
Nepal............................... Apr. 25, 1947........... Apr. 25, 1947.......... 61 Stat. 2566
Netherlands......................... Mar. 27, 1956........... Dec. 5, 1957........... 8 UST 2043
Norway.............................. June 5, 1928............ Sept. 13, 1932......... 47 Stat. 2135
Oman................................ Dec. 20, 1958........... June 11, 1960.......... 11 UST 1835
Pakistan............................ Nov. 12, 1959........... Feb. 12, 1961.......... 12 UST 110
Paraguay............................ Feb. 4, 1859............ Mar. 7, 1860........... 12 Stat. 1091
Saudi Arabia........................ Nov. 7, 1933............ Nov. 7, 1933........... 48 Stat. 1826
Spain............................... July 3, 1902............ Apr. 14, 1903.......... 33 Stat. 2105
Suriname............................ See Netherlands.........
Switzerland......................... Nov. 25, 1850........... Nov. 8, 1855........... 11 Stat. 587
Taiwan \1\.......................... Nov. 4, 1946............ Nov. 30, 1948.......... 63 Stat. 1299
Thailand............................ May 29, 1966............ June 8, 1968........... 19 UST 5843
Togo................................ Feb. 8, 1966............ Feb. 5, 1967........... 18 UST 1
Turkey.............................. Oct 1, 1929............. Apr. 22, 1930.......... 46 Stat. 2743
Oct. 28, 1931........... Feb. 15, 1933.......... 47 Stat. 2432
United Kingdom...................... July 3, 1815............ July 3, 1815........... 8 Stat. 228
Aug. 6, 1827............ Apr. 2, 1828........... 8 Stat. 361
Vietnam............................. Apr. 3, 1961............ Nov. 30, 1961.......... 12 UST 1703
Yemen (Sanaa)....................... May 4, 1946............. 60 Stat. 1782
Yugoslavia.......................... Oct. 2/14, 1881......... Nov. 15, 1882.......... 22 Stat. 963
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\1\ This agreement is administered on a nongovernmental basis by the American Institute in Taiwan pursuant to 22
U.S.C. 3305, as a result of the termination of relations with the governing authorities on Taiwan on Jan. 1,
1979.
