1826-June-01: In the wake of the French recognition, the United States faced a diplomatic dilemma regarding the 50% customs reduction granted exclusively to …

1826-June-01: In the wake of the French recognition, the United States faced a diplomatic dilemma regarding the 50% customs reduction granted exclusively to French ships. Under the treaty of 1778 and subsequent agreements with the Netherlands and Prussia, the U.S. had championed the principle of equal commercial opportunity. The Haitian-French arrangement was a blatant rejection of this most-favored-nation doctrine. However, because the U.S. did not recognize Haiti as a state, it lacked the formal standing to protest the tariff through traditional diplomatic channels. This created a situation where American merchants were economically penalized for their government’s refusal to acknowledge the “sable republic.”