16

justify their application. They shall eliminate the restrictions when conditions would no longer justify their institution or maintenance under that subparagraph. 3. (a) The contracting parties recognize that during the next few years all of them will be confronted in varying degrees with problems of economic adjustment resulting from the war. During this period the CONTRACTING PARTIES shall, when required to take decisions under this Article or under Article XIV, take full account of the difficulties of post-war adjustment and of the need which a contracting party may have to use import restrictions as a step towards the restoration of equilibrium in its balance of payments on a sound and lasting basis. (6) The contracting parties recognize that, as a result of domestic policies directed toward the achievement and maintenance of full and productive employment and large and steadily growing demand or toward the reconstruction or development of industrial and other economic resources and the raising of standards of productivity, such a contracting party may experience a high level of demand for imports. Accordingly,— (i) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article, no contracting party shall be required to withdraw or modify restrictions on the ground that a change in the policies referred to above would render unnecessary the restrictions which it is applying under this Article : (ii) Any contracting party applying import restrictions under this Article may determine the incidence of the restrictions on imports of different products or classes of products in such a way as to give priority to the importation of those products which are more essential in the light of such policies. (c) Contracting parties undertake, in carrying out their domestic policies—(i) To pay due regard to the need for restoring equilibrium in their balance of payments on a sound and lasting basis and to the desirability of assuring an economic employment of productive resources; (ii) Not to apply restrictions so as to prevent unreasonably the importation of any description of goods in minimum commercial quantities, the exclusion of which would impair regular channels of trade, or restrictions which would prevent the importation of commercial samples, or prevent compliance with patent, trade-mark, copyright, or similar procedures ; and (iii) To apply restrictions under this Article in such a way as to avoid unnecessary damage to the commercial or economic interests of any other contracting party. ,4. [a) Any contracting party which is not applying restrictions under this Article, but is considering the need to do so, shall, before instituting such restrictions (or, in circumstances in which prior consultation is impracticable, immediately ifter doing so), consult with the CONTRACTING PARTIES as to the nature of ts balance-of-payments difficulties, alternative corrective measures which may