60-HOUR TARIFF TALKS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31363, 8 May 1967, Page 15

60-HOUR TARIFF TALKS

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright)

GENEVA, May 7. Top Kennedy Round negotiators from the major Western industrial powers plunged into a marathon 60-hour non-stop bargaining session in Geneva today to work out an agreement for lowering world tariff barriers.

Under present arrangements Tuesday is the deadline for reaching agreement on the four-year-old trade talks.

Although the United States and European countries remain divided on several key issues—bilateral talks between them broke off in total deadlock on Friday informed sources said it was hoped a tentative package deal could be achieved by Tuesday. Mr Jean Rey, chief negotiator of the six-nation Common Market, is to fly to Brussels on Tuesday evening to submit a provisional agreement to a ministerial council meeting on Wednesday. The United States delegation w’as said to have expanded its proposed exceptions to tariff cuts in the controversial chemical sector just as the Common Market finally indicated it was prepared to negotiate on a compromise proposal. This surprise American move annoyed the major European suppliers—the six Common Market countries, Britain and Switzerland. The Swiss unofficially suggested a

purely inter-European tariff cutting deal on chemicals in case the Americans should remain adamant. While the Americans and Europeans remained far apart on chemicals, some advance was seen on the other major issue: a proposed international marketing agreement for wheat and other grains. The Canadians and Australians, both leading exporters, had been holding out for higher prices but were believed to have climbed down.