Memorandum from Secretary of State Dean Acheson to President Harry S. Truman

fl CONFIDENTIAL DEPARTMENT OF STATE DECLASSIFIED WASHINGTON E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 State Dept. Guidelines, March 6, 1982 By DEB NLT, Date 10-21-8T February 5, 1952 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT Subject: Appointment with Ambassador Berckemeyer of Peru The Peruvian Government is seriously concerned over pending proposals, both in the Congress and the Tariff Commission, which would establish or raise duties on imports of tunafish or bonito. Special concern is felt towards a House approved proposal, now under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee, which would impose a duty of three cents per pound on imports of fresh or frozen tuna. This is the particular matter which Ambassador Berckemeyer wishes to discuss with you during his conversation this morning. Peru, a traditionally friendly and cooperative nation, has a growing fishing industry which has become one of its leading sources of dollars in the last five years. The Peruvians fear increases in U. S. duties will cripple or kill its industry as it exports primarily to the U. S. At the same time, U. S. tunaboats are fishing heavily in waters claimed by Peru. The Peruvian Government is under considerable pressure to retaliate against the U. S. in- dustry (which is urging raised duties) principally by seizing U. S. boats fishing in waters Peru claims. To date, the Peruvian Govern- ment has been officially calm and unprovocative about this matter in a sincere desire not to create additional problems. The Executive departments have given thorough consideration to all the proposals affecting U. S. duties on tuna imports and have taken into account detailed information supplied by a number of/ HARRY S. TRUMAN LIBRARY CONFIDENTIAL