WITH BECK TO HOLD THE FIRST FORMAL SESSION, DECIDED THAT IT SHOULD PROCEED AS ARRANGED. JUST AS THE SESSION WAS ABOUT TO OPEN BECK TOLD MILLS PRIVATELY THAT HE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO REDUCE BY 1 PERCENTAGE POINT THE GROWTH RATES AGREED INFORMALLY FOR CATEGORIES 73, 74 AND 76. MILLS REACTED SHARPLY THAT THESE REDUCTIONS IN
GROWTH PLUS THE LAST MINUTE FOREWARNING ON THE SUB-LIMITS IN FABRICS BROUGHT HIM TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE FORMAL SESSION SHOULD NOT BE HELD. BECK THEN SAID THAT HE WOULD ON HIS OWN RESPONSIBILITY RESTORE THE CUTS IN GROWTH BUT HE COULD DO NOTHING ON THE SUB- LIMITS. HE HAD RECEIVED FIRM INSTRUCTIONS TO DEMAND THESE.
4.
THE FORMAL SESSION THEN BEGAN. BECK WORKED BACKWARDS FROM
GROUP IV TO GROUP 1. HONG KONG ACCEPTED THE LIMITS PROPOSED BY
BECK ON ALL CATEGORIES IN GROUPS 11 TO IV EXCEPT CATEGORY 13 (KNITTED UNDERWEAR ETC) AND QUERIED THE PROPOSED LIMIT ON CATEGORY
72.
5. IN GROUP I, WHEN BECK CAME TO CATEGORY 2 AND PRESENTED THE SUB-LIMIT (AT A LEVEL TO BE NEGOTIATED LATER), MILLS ASKED HIM TO REPEAT IT AND THEN SAID MR CHAIRMAN, THIS IS A COMPLETELY NEW DEVELOPMENT, A SURPRISE DEVELOPMENT, AND A VERY GREAT SHOCK.
HOWEVER, I DID AGREE IN THE BEGINNING THAT YOU SHOULD PRESENT YOUR PROPOSALS TO US. SO PLEASE CONTINUE. BECK THEN CONTINUED THROUGH
GROUP 1. WHEN HE HAD FINISHED, MILLS EXPRESSED HIS SHOCK AND ANGER
AT 'THIS ASTONISHING LAST-MINUTE CHANGE IN CATEGORIES 2AND 3'.
HE ENDED BY SAYING IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND I THINK WE
SHOULD SUSPEND THIS SESSION. THANK YOU.' AT THIS POINT MILLS AND
HIS TEAM LEFT THE ROOM.
6. IN CASE IT MAY BE SUGGESTED THAT WE DID HAVE EARLIER WARNING
OF THIS, I MUST EXPLAIN THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD PRIOR CONFIRMATION
THAT NO SUB-LIMITS WOULD BE DEMANDED. IN A TABLE OF CATEGORIES HANDED OVER BY THE COMMISSION ON 19 OCTOBER, CATEGORIES 2 AND 3, COTTON AND DISCONTINUOUS SYNTHETIC FIBRES, INCLUDED PROVISION FOR A POSSIBLE SUB-LIMIT ON FABRICS OTHER THAN GREY AND BLEACHED: BUT
IN THIS SET OF TABLES ALL THE COLUMNS FOR THE INSERTION OF LIMITS
HAD BEEN LEFT BLANK. AT THIS STAGE THEREFORE IT APPEARED THAT
SUB-LIMITS MIGHT BE SOGHT. HOWEVER ON 7 NOVEMBER THE COMMUNITY
SUPPLIED A SET OF TABLES UNDER THE HEADING TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS
PROPOSALS CONFIRMED 7 NOVEMBER 1977'. IN THESE TABLES PROPOSED
LIMITS FOR ALL CATEGORIES AND ALL MEMBER STATES ARE SHOWN.
THERE
久
lis.