PROPOSAL TO G.A.T.T.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29684, 30 November 1961, Page 13

PROPOSAL TO G.A.T.T.

U.S. Plan For Tariff Study (N JIJP.A.-Reuter—CopyngM) GENEVA, Nov. 27. The new United States Under-Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Mr George Ball, today proposed to a conference of world trade ministers that a special committee be formed to examine new methods of international tariff negotiation. Mr Ball, addressing the trade ministers’ conference convened by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, said new techniques were necessary in view of the development in the world of big trading Hoes like the European Common Market. Mr Ball said after the morning session that the new techniques the Americans had in mind were the method of linear percentage reductions, instead ot the product-by-product method. His plea for new thinking by GA.T.T. to keep abreast of the times was backed by the French Finance Minister (Mr Baumgartner), conference sources said. Mr Baumgartner suggested that all industrial countries should cut their tariffs by 20 per cent, each year—the rate of the Common Market. Across-the-board trading must be adopted—“there is no other way,” he said. The four-day conference, attended by ministers from 33 countries, has been called by G-A.T.T. to review the GATT, trade expwtston programme started in 1958.