DSR 11C
not only by what our EC partners will agree but also by
what the US will want. Though some EC partners may
favour continued protectionism, the risk of added EC/US
friction is there. Any EC position must take account
of the prevailing protectionism tendencies in the US; we
can expect strong views there against greater
liberalisation at present, and the Community will need to
work with those like Smith (USTR) who seem to favour a
gradual opening.
The
6. The alternative will be conflict with the LDCs and
NICS at a very inopportune moment in the preparations for
a new GATT round of multilateral trade negotiations.
paper might therefore bring out more clearly the link
between our tactics and strategy on the MFA and our
campaign for a new GATT round, not least because the LDCs -
themselves recognise that liberalising the MFA is one of
the few cards we can play to get the LDCs to agree to
what we want in the GATT.