Message to the Congress Transmitting the Portugal-United States Social Security Agreement

June 13, 1988

To the Congress of the United States:

Pursuant to Section 233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Social Security Amendments of 1977 (P.L. 95 - 216, 42 U.S.C. 433(e)(1)), I transmit herewith the Agreement between the United States of America and the Portuguese Republic on Social Security that consists of two separate instruments: a principal agreement and an administrative arrangement. The Agreement was signed at Lisbon on March 30, 1988.

The U.S.-Portugal Agreement is similar in objective to the social security agreements already in force with Belgium, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Such bilateral agreements provide for limited coordination between the United States and foreign social security systems to overcome the problems of gaps in protection and of dual coverage and taxation for workers who move from one country to the other.

I also transmit for the information of the Congress a comprehensive report prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services, which explains the provisions of the Agreement and provides data on the number of persons affected by the Agreement and the effect on social security financing as required by the same provision of the Social Security Act.

The Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services join with me in commending the U.S.-Portugal Social Security Agreement and related documents.

Ronald Reagan

The White House,

June 13, 1988.