Message to the Senate Transmitting Protocols for the Extension of the 1971 International Wheat Agreement Conventions
June 11, 1981
To the Senate of the United States:
With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Protocols for the Extension of the Wheat Trade Convention, 1971 (WTC), and the Food Aid Convention, 1980 (FAC), which Conventions constitute the International Wheat Agreement, 1971. The Protocols were adopted by a conference which met in London on March 6, 1981 and were open for signature in Washington from March 24 through May 15, 1981. They were signed by the United States on May 8, 1981.
I transmit also, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Secretary of State with respect to the Protocols.
The Protocols extend both Conventions through June 30, 1983. They maintain the framework for international cooperation in wheat trade matters, continue the existence of the International Wheat Council, and extend the parties' commitments to provide minimum annual quantities of cereals aid to developing countries.
I ask that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the two Protocols so that ratification by the United States can be effected at an early date. Doing so will demonstrate our continued commitment to cooperation on international wheat trade matters and to providing food aid to needy developing nations.
Ronald Reagan
The White House,
June 11, 1981.
Message to the Senate Transmitting the United States-Argentina Convention on Taxation and Fiscal Evasion
June 11, 1981
To the Senate of the United States:
I transmit herewith, for Senate advice and consent to ratification, a Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Argentina for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and Capital (the Convention), together with a related Protocol, signed at Buenos Aires on May 7, 1981. I also transmit the report of the Department of State on the Convention.
The Convention, based on the United States and OECD model income tax conventions published in 1977, is the first of its kind to be entered into by the United States with a Latin American country.
Argentina taxes all income derived in Argentina, but does not tax any income derived by residents of Argentina from foreign sources. Thus, the usual treaty practice of reciprocal reductions in withholding taxes at source on dividends, interest, and royalties paid to residents of the other country has little appeal to Argentina. Argentina is reluctant to reduce its own tax at source, incurring a revenue cost for which it sees no offsetting benefit. The negotiators believe that the Convention represents a fair and reasonable compromise between the Argentine position that tax should be imposed only at source and the broader view of the United States and most other countries that tax may also be imposed on the basis of residence.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Convention and related Protocol and give advice and consent to their ratification.
Ronald Reagan
The White House,
June 11, 1981.
Message to the Senate Transmitting the United States-Colombia Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance
June 11, 1981
To the Senate of the United States:
With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance between the United States of America and the Republic of Colombia, together with a related exchange of notes, signed at Washington on August 20, 1980.
I transmit also, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the treaty.
The treaty is one of a series of modern mutual assistance treaties being negotiated by the United States. The treaty is self-executing and utilizes existing statutory authority.
The new treaty provides for a broad range of cooperation in criminal matters. Mutual assistance available under the treaty includes: (1) executing requests relating to criminal matters; (2) taking of testimony or statements of persons; (3) effecting the production, preservation, and authentication of documents, records, or articles of evidence; (4) returning to the requesting Party any objects, articles, or other property or assets belonging to it or obtained by an accused through offenses; (5) serving judicial documents, writs, summonses, records of judicial verdicts, and court judgments or decisions; (6) effecting the appearance of a witness or expert before a court of the requesting Party; (7) locating persons; and (8) providing judicial records, evidence, and information.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the treaty and give its advice and consent to ratification.
Ronald Reagan
The White House,
June 11, 1981.