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Daily News Record 14/10/69.
Multi-Nation Parley
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In GATT Seen US Aim
By TSUKASA FURUKAWA
a
Cable Fairchild News Service®
TOKYO. The latest indica- tions are that talks between the United States and Japan on bilateral textile agreement will operate as part of multi-nation talks for broad agreement to be called by GATT.
Gaining strength in Tokya cir- cles is that the United States will seek this multi-nation con- of Article 22 ference under GATT providing for consultations on market disruption.
Expectations are that GATT will set up a new committee on wool and man-made fiber lex- tiles through which multi-nation talks will function. Bilateral talks which have. so far been
had by the United States with Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and other countries will be continued In the incorporation of, or par- allel with multi-nation talks.
Philip Trezise, Assistant Secre- tary of State, stated here that the United States will not on.. pose talks on the textile issues within the cameral framework of GATT He said that this is what Commerce
Maurice Secretary Stans proposed to the Japanese during his visit to Tokyo in May.
Spokesman of the Ministry of International Trade & Industry has reconfirmed to Fairchild News Service® that the Japanese- Government has not rejected the United States proposal for a bi- lateral agreement.
He said the Government's final position will not be made until later this week. He said the de- cision will be made by Oct. 17 before Minister Masayoshi Ohira leaves here for East Europe. But the actual transmission of the reply, to be made through the United States Embassy in Tokyo, may be later than Oct. 17.
It is being watched with keen concern what the Japanese for- mal reply will contain,
MITI spokesman re-emphasized that Ohira suggested to Trezise to study textile issue in frame- work of GATT and that Japan is prepared to take part in such a conference. Ohira, however, expressed his view that the United States proposal for a compre- hensive bilateral agreement, with-
of out going through steps GATT, would be unacceptable to Japan.
Japanese sources here had been closely following develop- ments at the LTA meeting in Geneva.
Japanese now view that the atmosphere at LTA favored dis- cussion of the issue on synthetics and wools through GATT.
The Japanese industry said It is not opposed to the Japanese Government participating in muli- nation talks "if they are to study Injury to the United States tex- tile industry." Industry here in- sists that "injury" must first be proven by the multi-nation body before The Japanese can sit at the negotiating table.