Message to the Congress Transmitting Annual Report on the Operation of the International Coffee Agreement.
To the Congress of the United States:
I transmit herewith the 1968 report on the operations of the International Coffee Agreement.
This treaty, in force since 1963, is vital to the economic well-being of many friendly developing countries in Latin America and Africa. It has provided them stable and predictable earnings from their principal export crop and thus has encouraged their economic development. The United States consumer in turn has benefitted from stable prices considerably below the peaks reached before the Agreement entered into force. I hope to see the Agreement continued and strengthened. I reaffirm our support of the Coffee Diversification Fund, designed to encourage a shift of resources away from the production of surplus and unheeded coffee. Discussions with the Coffee Fund on the terms and conditions of a United States loan to the Fund are expected to begin fairly soon.
The report reviews the operations of the International Coffee Agreement in 1968. On April 30, 1969 agreement was reached with the Brazilian Government regarding Brazilian soluble coffee exports. This has obviated any immediate need for United States' action.
RICHARD NIXON
The White House
August 5, 1969
Note: The report, entitled "1968 Annual Report of the President to the Congress on the International Coffee Agreement" (12 pp. plus annexes), was published by the Department of State.
The text of the April 1969 agreement with Brazil is printed in the Department of State Bulletin (vol. 60, p. 455).
Richard Nixon, Message to the Congress Transmitting Annual Report on the Operation of the International Coffee Agreement. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/239941