Roth R&R
of Tariff
"We
Reference...
CONFIDENTIAL
142
Mr. Stewart
Mr. Milne
CC: Mr. O'Leary, SИD.
Mr. Wiggin, AD. Mr. Wilson, CSAD.
Mr. Carter, HKD.
}
RECEIVED IN
R CISTRY No. 51
- DEC 1969
$XX6/15481
♫
Mr. Aiers, SWPD.
Mr. Seconde, SED.
Mr. Sewell, Caribbean Dept.
Textile Tariff: Consultations with Overseas
Countries
After the meeting yesterday about the talks in New Delhi next week, Mr. Hughes raised the question of the timetable for talks with other countries to whom we have contractual commitments and how we should handle matters with countries to whom we have no such commitments.
2. The provisional conclusions were as follows:
Australia
Although the Australian interest is small the Australians will undoubtedly claim that they have an active interest. The Board of Trade should say to the Australian High Commission fairly soon that we want a waiver from them in connection with our cotton textile tariff proposal and that we must obviously have a talk about this. How do they propose the matter should be dealt with? Our purpose might be to ensure that someone from London goes to Canberra for these talks.
New Zealand
Any necessary talks with the New Zealand authorities might take place at the same time as the talks which are due to start by September next year on Article 2 of the Anglo/New Zealand Agreement 1966.
Pakistan
This
Mr. Sanders is, as you know, still unconvinced that we shall have to pay any form of compensation to Pakistan under any contractual commitment. is an argument which has still to be concluded. The feeling was that the Pakistanis might want to leave talks as long as possible in the hope of being able to strike a better bargain with us. We should perhaps wait for a time in order to try to get the Indian position settled but we should not leave the Pakistanis until the last minute. Some-
time towards the end of next year might be appropriate.
South Africa
It was thought that although the South African trade interést is pretty small the talks with South Africa may be very difficult because of the attachment of the South African authorities to questions of principle. We might look at this matter again in the Spring, possibly with the idea of sending someone from London to South Africa with the double objective of dealing with the textile tariff question and also of looking into the question of export opportunities. Sir A. Snelling's advice might be sought when he has had time to settle in.
COUFT DENTTAL