Bulk Buying As Trade Solution

Press, Volume C, Issue 29632, 30 September 1961, Page 14

Bulk Buying As Trade Solution

(Special Correspondent NZJ>Af LONDON, September 28. Bull? buying contracts by the future European Community, perhaps including butter, are reported to have been explored during the present talks by officials as one of the possible solutions to meet the many problems of the Comomnwealth countries over the wide range of commodities they produce. > Mt ' r »; j

Tariff-free quotas for commodities such as aluminium are also believed to have been suggested. The talks, which began last week between officials of the United Kingdom and New Zealand, Australia, Canada. India, Pakistan, Rhodesia and Ceylon, are expected to end tomorrow. They have been on a bilateral basis covering the whole range of products which Commonwealth countries sell to Britain. There have been no agreed solutions for the various problems which emerged. The British it is said, could go no further than to put forward certain ideas about how the various commodity questions might be dealt with in order to preserve essential Commonwealth trading interests. The "Financial Times” correspondent says that in ad-

vance of toe meeting on October 10 between Britain and the “Six," and probably for some time afterwards, it will obviously be impossible for Britain to give any clear indications to the Commonwealth as to what particular arrangements may prove acceptable to the “Six." One problem which already stands out is to ensure that ohce bargaining with the “Six” has. started consultations between Britain and Commonwealth countries should not only be rapid, but also carried through in strictest secrecy. As negotiations between the "Six” before the signature of the Rome Treaty demonstrated, situations are bound to arise when one particular point may have to be used as a bargaining counter in order to achieve success on another. Tn the case of the forthcoming negotiations this could involve the interests of two or more Commonwealth countries. An attempt by any Commonwealth Government to make political use of issues as they come up could seriously prejudice the outcome of the discussions.