Ministers Slate Tariff Walls

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31089, 18 June 1966, Page 16

Ministers Slate Tariff Walls

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, June 17. Trade ministers from 22 Commonwealth countries today bitterly criticised delays in breaking down tariff walls against world trade. The ministers including the New Zealand Minister of Overseas Trade (Mr Marshall), have been meeting in

London behind closed doors for four days to find ways of boosting trade by Commonwealth members. In a long communique issued at the end of the talks last night, the Ministers said they were disappointed by the slow progress being made at the so-called Kennedy Round of discussions at Geneva on ways to reduce tariffs under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The Geneva talks must reach agreement soon, the Ministers said, on agricultural and industrial products. The Ministers stressed the need to ensure that the Ken-

nedy Round resulted in increased benefits for all countries, including developing countries. However, they pointed out that in accordance with the decisions of the G.A.T.T. Ministerial meeting of 1963 the developing countries need not be expected to open reciprocal concessions. At the same time they reaffirmed the value of the Commonwealth preference system to all members of the Commonwealth, particularly to its less developed members. They agreed that Commonwealth countries should act together wherever possible in international organisations concerned with trade and trade policy. The Ministers agreed there should be consultation between Commonwealth countries before any concessions were made in the Kennedy Round which would affect the preferential margins enjoyed by Commonwealth partners. They emphasised that in the event of any concessions, countries which benefit from preferential arrangements should gain compensating trade benefits in world markets for any reduction of these preferences.