f
with it) and safeguards (since this would provide one means of
providing industrial countries with the right to take selective
action while perhaps giving some reassurance to developing
countries on the kind of case in which such action would be
taken).
The MTN Agriculture Group has set up a procedure of requests by
exporting countries and offers in return by importing countries
covering tariff and non-tariff barriers on agricultural products.
Requests have now been submitted to the main parties to the
negotiation and offers will shortly be considered. Separate
consideration is being given to cereals, meat and dairy products.
Meetings are taking place of the MTN Sub-Groups concerned
with meat and dairy products to consider multilateral solutions
in the meat and dairy sectors. The main forum for the current
discussion of cereals is the International Wheat Council which
is considering a possible text of a new International Wheat
Agreement with a view to convening a negotiating conference
early in 1978. If these discussions go well there will have to
be in due course some linking in with the work of the MTN8.
The main parties to the negotiations have also submitted
requests to others on industrial non-tariff barriers which are
not under consideration in the discussions described in sub
paragraph d above. There are likely to be similar requests
presented in due course in respect of industrial tariffs on
the part of those countries developing countries but also
some developed
countries
-
who for one reason or another prove
unable to apply the agreed tariff formula.