PARIS TRADE MEETING

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29108, 21 January 1960, Page 14

PARIS TRADE MEETING

“Australia Is Concerned” (NJZ. Press Association—Covyrighti CANBERRA, January 20. Australia was concerned by the ramifications of last week’s Paris trade meeting attended by representatives of European countries, the United States and Canada, the Trade Minister (Mr John McEwen) said today. Mr McEwen said the meeting had reached important and farreaching decisions, affecting not only European trade but international trade generally. Australia would “certainty not” be bound by any decision reached by an international trade group in whose discussions Australia had not participated, Mr McEwen said in a statement. Mr McEwen issued the statement in reply to press questions which he had been asked earlier about the Paris meeting, attended by Ministers from countries included in the European Economic Commission and European Free Trade Association. “It would be intolerable to have policies affecting as important a trader as Australia determined by countries having a minor interest in bulk commodities, except as buyers,” Mr McEwen said. The interests of underdeveloped countries also had been completely unrepresented at the conference; he said.