TNAG-0135-FCO40-171-Tariff-preferences-for-developing-countries-1969 — Page 154

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5 have not offered

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Any comments and

We can accept this.

Mr. Combe

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UNCTADS Generalised Preferences

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the U.K.Jffer

FCO(69)18

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102

After the consumption of much interdepartmental time en

the notion of duty-free quotas, the Beard of Trade appear to

have abandoned it and the concept of a duty-free quota offer is

not mentioned in the conclusions of the FCO papar. Instead,

the Committee is naked to approve in principle an offer based

on tariff reductions, so that our Delegation at the next OECD

meeting on 24 September should know the likely direction of our

modified offer.

Recommendation

2. The PCO can in principle go along with a system of tariff

reductions, but we would prefer a system of duty-free quotas

and there are a number of points which require to be made, or

questions put, at the meeting.

Argument

3.

First, we should support the Board of Trade approach on

page 1 of the paper and press other doner countries in OECD te

improve their offers before we consider how far our own very

generous offer should be reduced. Secondly, while we cannot

easily question the Board of Trade about the administrative

difficulties which they have outlined in Annex A and which they

are the best qualified to judge, we should make the point that

/the

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