As a result of these heavy imports, as well as the imports of frozen fish, 

 the domestic industry found itself in serious diffic\ilty and asked for pro- 

 tection in the form of an increase in the rate of tariff on caxined tuna. 

 Under the Tariff Acts of 1922 and 1930, canned tuna was dutiable at 30 

 percent ad valorem. As the Tariff Commission in its "Section 336" investiga- 

 tion found that foreign production costs were lower, the duty on "tu.ua pre- 

 pared or preserved in any manner, when packed in oil or in oil and other 

 suh stances," was increased to 45 percent ad valorem on January 13, 193^9 

 hy Presidential proclamation. Following the imposition of the new duty, 

 imports of ceuined tuna, declined sharply and remained well "below those for 

 1933 'i-'uatil the outbreak of the war in the Pacific, when imports from 

 Japan ceased. 



A trade agreement was conclTided with Mexico in 19^3. which sharply 

 reduced the tariff on canned tiina in oil. Although little canned tixna was 

 produced in that country, one of the points covered in the trade agreement 

 reduced the tariff on tuna canned in oil from ^5 percent to 223- percent 

 ad valorem with the ohject of stimulating production in that country for the 

 purpose of supplying food for the war effort. However, Mexico never became 

 an important source of supply. Under the Trade Asreements Act of 193^;. sls 

 amended, the most favored nation policy made this reduction applicable to 

 imports from all countries. After World War II the reduction was also 

 applicable to Japan. 



During the period from 19^2 to 19^9, imports of canned tuna ranged 

 from only 4ll,9l8 pounds in 19^2 to somewhat over 8,000,000 pounds in 

 19^. In these years, the canning of tuna was "begun in Peru and that 

 country had "become the major exporter of this product to the United States. 

 With the end of the war, Japan began rebuilding its tiina fleet and by l950 

 was again ready to make large shipments of canned tuna to the United States. 

 In that year, 36,409,5^7 pounds of tuna canned in oil, 87 percent of which 

 came from Japan, entered the United States. These heavy imports, plus those 

 of tujoa canned in brine, amounting to 380,917 potinds, and canned bonito 

 amoijnting to 8,135,102 povuids, together with a record United States pack 

 of 157,326,462 pounds, resulted in the market being flooded with raoz'~e 

 cajmed tuna than it cotild absorb. 



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