Preferences File
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 12 JUNE 1969
RESTRICTED
CYPHER CAT A
PRIORITY UKDEL OECD
TELEGRAM NO 62
RESTRICTED
[NEUTRAL]
ADDRESSED TO FCO TELEGRAM NO 62 OF 12 JUNE REPEATED FOR INFORMATION SAVING TO WASHINGTON UKDEL EEC AND UKMIS GENEVA.
FOLLOWING FROM U.K. DELEGATION TO OECD AD HOC GROUP ON PREFERENCES.
THE AD HOC GROUP HELD ITS 5TH SESSION ON THE AFTERNOON OF 11 JUNE. WINTERMANS (NETHERLANDS) WAS IN THE CHAIR. THE U.K. WAS REPRESENTED BY KEMMIS, BOARD OF TRADE.
2. THE MAIN INFLUENCE ON THE MEETING WAS THE STATEMENT BY WORTHINGTON, STATE DEPARTMENT, THAT AT LAST THE U.S. HOPED TO SUBMIT ITS ILLUSTRATIVE OFFER LIST OF PREFERENCES TO THE OECD "AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE IN JULY''. HE ADDED THAT IT WAS LIKELY THAT THE U.S. SUBMISSION WOULD COMPRISE SEVERAL DIFFERENT POSSIBLE PREFERENCE SCHEMES, BASED ON DIFFERENT WORKING HYPOTHESES.
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MOREOVER, THE SUBMISSION WOULD IN NO WAY COMMIT THE U.S. TO EVENTUAL IMPLEMENTATION OF A PREFERENCE SCHEME.
3.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE U.S. STATEMENT FOR THE CONDUCT AND TIMING OF FURTHER WORK BY THE AD HOC GROUP HERE IN PARIS AND IN THEIR CAPACITY OF MEMBERS OF THE UNCTAD PREFERENCES COMMITTEE LED TO SOME DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE U.S., WITH JAPANESE SUPPORT, AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY, SUPPORTED BY DENMARK AND SWEDEN. THE U.S. BROADLY CONSIDERED THAT THE UNCTAD PREFERENCES COMMITTEE MEETING ON 30 JUNE SHOULD BE VERY SHORT, THAT THE REAL MEETING SHOULD BE THE NEXT ONE AND TAKE PLACE AROUND LATE NOVEMBER OR EARLY DECEMBER.
DI MARTINO (COMMISSION), MAINLY ARGUED FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS
RESTRICTED
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.51
26 JUN 1969
10 KK 6/12!
/APPROACH