TARIFF TALKS: DOMINIONS AWAIT OFFER FROM U.S.

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 July 1947, Page 10

TARIFF TALKS: DOMINIONS AWAIT OFFER FROM U.S.

NEW YORK, July 28

“It is understood that the initiative for resumption of tariff discussions with Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa at the Geneva Conference will have to be taken by the United States,” says the New York Herald-Tribune correspondent at Geneva. “These countries—with whom negotiations have been at a standstill for seven weeks because the United States offered no concession in its wool tariff —are awaiting an offer. In return, they are reported to be ready to cut down Imperial preferences on commodities such as tinned fruits, machinery, and a fair range of manufactured goods.

“The passage by Congress of the amended Robertson Bill, giving the American wool industry continued protection by subsidy, has given new hope for a successful conclusion of •the tariff negotiations between the United States and the British Empire. Any resumption of conferences, however, will have to follow new instructions from Washington to the American negotiators at Geneva. • “What is awaited is a decision by the Reciprocal Trade Committee on Mr Truman’s Cabinet recommendation that the President should issue a directive that a wool tariff concession is to be made.”