TNAG-0143-FCO40-179-Exports-of-textiles-to-United-States-of-America-1969 — Page 180

CONFIDENTI AL

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3. AS USUAL MR. MILLS HAS GOT EVERYBODY GUESSING ABOUT THE

BACKGROUND AND MOTIVES OF HIS PROPOSAL.

HIS REJECTION OF IMPORT

-

QUOTAS EXCEPT IN THE LAST RESORT IS IN KEEPING WITH VIEWS HE HAS REPEATEDLY EXPRESSED, AND HIS SPEECH SEEMS TO CLOSE THE DOOR FAIRLY FIRMLY FOR THE TIME BEING AGAINST PRESSURES FOR CONGRESS

WE TO PASS SUCH LEGISLATION ON TEXTILES OR OTHER PRODUCTS.

UNDERSTAND THAT THE IDEA OF VOLUNTARY EXPORT LIMITATIONS BY VALUE,

AND ITS PRACTICABILITY, HAS NOT BEEN DISCUSSED IN ANY DETAIL BY

IT IS MR. MILLS WITH EITHER THE INDUSTRY OR THE ADMINISTRATION. NOT CLEAR HOW FAR HE DISCUSSED IT IN GENERAL TERMS WITH THE WHITE HOUSE, WHERE THERE HAS BEEN SOME ACTIVITY ON TEXTILE IMPORTS, PROMPTED IN ALL PROBABILITY BY THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY'S HOPES OF

ENCASHING THE HALF-PROMISES MADE BY MR NIXON DURING HIS CAMPAIGN.

(THERE IS SOME TALK THAT MR ROBERT ELLSWORTH, A WHITE HOUSE STAFF

MEMBER, MAY SHORTLY VISIT TEXTILE EXPORTING COUNTRIES).

IT IS NOT

INCONCE I VABLE THAT MR MILLS HAS MADE HIS MOVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP

THE TEXTILE IMPORT PROBLEM UNDER HIS OWN CONTROL, JUST AS HE DID IN AUGUST, 1967, BY TABLING HIS OWN TEXTILE QUOTA BILL.

4.

I WILL LET YOU HAVE MORE CONSIDERED COMMENTS AS SOON AS

POSSIBLE.

IN THE MEANTIME IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO HAVE VIEWS

ON THE WORKABILITY OF VALUE LIMITS.

THE FIRST REACTION OF MOST

EXPERT OPINION AT WORKING LEVEL IN THE ADMINISTRATION AND AMONGST

IMPORTERS IS THAT THEY WOULD BE UNWORKABLE.

KONG

2

FCO PASS HONGKONG UKDEL BRUSSELS AND UKMIS GENEVA.

SIR P.

DEAN.

REPEATED AS REQUESTED__/

INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION

TRADE POLICY DEPT.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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