28th March, 1969.
1. It is widely believed that America's Secretary of Commerce,
Mr. Stans, when visiting the European countries including
Great Britain in this coming April, will almost certainly
try to secure the consent of those countries to the holding
of a GATT meeting to discuss the question of new restrictions
on the international trade of textiles.
2. The Japanese Government, as well as the Japanese business
concerns, made it very clear on several recent occasions that
they would be opposed to any movement seeking new international
restrictions on the trade in textiles in whatever form, and the
Japanese Government reconfirm that they have never changed
their position in firmly opposing any such movement on the part
of U.S.A.
3. In particular, the Japanese Government find no reasons for
holding such a meeting in the situation, now that many of the
major trading nations are expressing their strong opposition
to the attempt of U.S.A. to have restrictions on the international
trade in textiles. Above all, in the present situation, where
the whole structure of world economy and trade is facing a
number of serious challenges, it is feared that holding such
a meeting would only discourage the countries in their efforts
to explore further means of expanding the free trade and could
have detrimental effects upon the future of our world economy.
:
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