Purpose: Adjusted tariff duty imposed on taximeters, mechanical devices used to calculate passenger fare in taxicabs, produced in Germany
Date: December 12, 1925
(Original document available here)
Whereas in and by section 315 (a) of Title III of the act of Congress approved September 21, 1922, entitled “An act to provide revenue, to regulate commerce with foreign countries, to encourage the industries of the United States, and for other purposes,” it is, among other things, provided that whenever the President, upon investigation of the differences in costs of production of articles wholly or in part the growth or product of the United States and of like or similar articles wholly or in part the growth or product of competing foreign countries, shall find it thereby shown that the duties fixed in this act do not equalize the said differences in costs of production in the United States and the principal competing country he shall, by such investigation, ascertain said differences and determine and proclaim the changes in classifications or increases or decreases in rates of duty provided in said act shown by said ascertained differences in such costs of production necessary to equalize the same;
Whereas in and by section 315 (b) of said act it is further provided that whenever the President upon such investigation shall find it thereby shown that the duties prescribed in said act do not equalize said differences, and shall further find it thereby shown that the said differences in costs of production in the United States and the principal competing country cannot be equalized by proceeding under the provisions of subdivision (a) of said section, he shall make such findings public, together with a description of the articles to which they apply, in such detail as may be necessary for the guidance of appraising officers, and that in such cases and upon the proclamation by the President becoming effective the ad valorem duty or duty based in whole or in part upon the value of the imported article in the country of exportation shall thereafter be based upon the American selling price, as defined in subdivision (f) of section 402 of said act, of any similar competitive article manufactured or produced in the United States embraced within the class or kind of imported articles upon which the President has made a proclamation under subdivision (b) of said section;
Whereas in and by section 315 (c) of said act it is further provided that in ascertaining the differences in costs of production, under the provisions of subdivisions (a) and (b) of said section, the President, in so far as he finds it practicable, shall take into consideration (1) the differences in conditions in production, including wages, costs of material, and other items in costs of production of such or similar articles in the United States and in competing foreign countries; (2) the differences in the wholesale selling prices of domestic and foreign articles in the principal markets of the United States; (3) advantages granted to a foreign producer by a foreign government, or by a person, partnership, corporation, or association in a foreign country; and (4) any other advantages or disadvantages in competition;
Whereas, under and by virtue of said section of said act, the United States Tariff Commission has made an investigation to assist the President in ascertaining the differences in costs of production of and of all other facts and conditions enumerated in said section with respect to the articles described in paragraph 368 of Title I of said tariff act of 1922, namely, taximeters, whether wholly or partly complete or knocked down, being wholly or in part the growth or product of the United States, and of and with respect to like or similar articles wholly or in part the growth or product of competing foreign countries;
Whereas in the course of said investigation hearings were held, of which reasonable public notice was given and at which parties interested were given reasonable opportunity to be present, to produce evidence, and to be heard;
Whereas the President upon said investigation of said differences in costs of production of taximeters, wholly or in part the growth or product of the United States and of like or similar articles wholly or in part the growth or product of competing foreign countries, has thereby found—
That the principal competing country is Germany;
That the duties fixed in said title and act do not equalize the differences in costs of production in the United States and in said principal competing country, namely, Germany;
That the differences in costs of production in the United States and the principal competing country are greater than the amount of the present duties at the rates of 45 per centum ad valorem and $ 3.00 per meter increased by the total maximum increase authorized under said section, subdivision (a);
And that said differences in costs of production in the United States and the principal competing country can not be equalized by proceeding under the provisions of subdivision (a) of said section and act, that is to say, by increasing the duties to the extent of 50 per centum of the existing duties applied to the value of the imported article in the country of exportation.
Now, therefore, I, Calvin Coolidge, President of the United States of America, do hereby determine and proclaim that the rate of duty ad valorem shown by said differences in costs of production of taximeters, whether wholly or partly complete or knocked down, in the United States and in the principal competing, country necessary, in addition to the specific rate of $3.00, to equalize such differences, is the rate of 27.1 per centum ad valorem based and assessed upon the American selling price as defined in subdivision (f) of section 402 of said act, of similar installed taximeters manufactured or produced in the United States.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington this 12th day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and fiftieth.
Citation: The Statutes at Large of the United States of America from December 1925 to March 1927
The Coolidge Foundation gratefully acknowledges the volunteer efforts of Craig Eyermann, who prepared this document for digital publication.