TNAG-0144-FCO40-180-Exports-of-textiles-to-United-States-of-America-1969 — Page 163

CONFIDENTIAL

U.S. Court of Customs and Patents Appeals. If the President of

the Board of Trade raises this issue it would therefore be

appropriate for Mr. Mulley to join in expressing the hope that

the State Department can be persuaded to agree to our request

that they should enter an amicus brief to remind the Court

of the wider international implications (Brief no. 6).

Preferences for developing countries (Brief No. 9)

11.

Developed members of OECD agreed to do their best to table

illustrative lists of the products on which they were prepared

to grant preferences to developing countries on 1 March 1969

with the aim of agred ng by the end of June on the terms of an

offer to developing countries (paragraphs 2–4 of background

brief). The failure of the Americans to table a list has meant

that discussions between OECD countries (who need as a first

step to compare their individual offers) have not yet started

and the time-table is slipping badly. Since Britain tabled

her offer lists on time, we have met our commitments so far;

but if the Americans cannot promise early progress Mr. Mulley

could emphasise the possible adverse effect on relations

between developed and developing countries in general.

resolution on preferences was adopted unanimously at UNCTAD II

and was seen by daveloping countries as one of the few hopeful

results of that Conference and the members of OECD will be

open to considerable criticism if they cannot show that

constructive work has started.

The

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