Acceptance Of Cheese Plan

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32019, 20 June 1969, Page 1

Acceptance Of Cheese Plan

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent) LONDON, June 19. Both the French and Dutch Governments have indicated an eleventh-hour acceptance of the British Government’s ultimatum to restrict their cheddar cheese exports to the United Kingdom market.

1 NoßhTCPDtiTirr of.-the ultimatumwmddliave meant the ’ imposition at the week-end of ‘ heavy penal duties on French ■ and Dutch cheese supplies. The way is now clear for the British Government to ‘ announce probably tomor--1 row—that it has successfully concluded negotiations for the “voluntary” restraint of ched- ’ dar exports to Britain over the two-year period, April 1, 1968, to March 31, 1970. At the same time the Government is expected to say that because these negotiations have been successful there is now no need to impose countervailing duties on subsidised exports to the market. There has been no announcement about the quantity of Cheddar and cheddartype cheese the Dutch and the French will be permitted to send to Britain over the twoyear period of the “voluntary” : restraint scheme. But some re-: ports place the Dutch figure at 11,000 tons. The Dutch Government was extremely reluctant to accept < the scheme. A spokesman at the Dutch Embassy said it had > done so because not only its > Cheddar but also its edam and i gouda cheese supplies to Bri-, tain were threatened by penal; duties. “The position would have i become impossible for us,” he i said. “The British said we i must accept the scheme or i

else they would put a levy on our total exports of cheese to Britain.”