CYPHER/CAT A
FROM PRIORITY ROME
TELEGRAM NO 404
CONFIDENTIAL
NEUTRAL
CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 22 APRIL 1969
by File les
ADDRESSED TO FCO TELN C 484 22/4 RFI TO PARIS AND ROUTINE TO WASHINGTON, TOKYO, HONG KONG, BRUSSELS, UKDEL TO EEC BRUSSELS, THE HAGUE, BUNN, UK MISSION GENEVA, BERNE. SG MY TEL NO 315:
VISIT OF MR.STANS.
ROSSI LONGHI OF THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, HAS NOW GIVEN US AN ACCOUNT OF MR,STANS' TALKS HERE.
2.
STANS WAS REALLY INTERESTED ONLY IN THE TEXTILES QUESTION. HE GAVE A FORCEFUL EXPLANATION, WHICH CEEMS TO HAVE MADE SOME IMPRESSION ON THE ITALIANS, CF THE REAL DIFFICULTIES OVER TEXTILES WHICH THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION FACES IN CONGRESS. HE MADE AN OFFER IN PRINCIPLE CF SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR TEXTILE IMPORTS INTO THE U.S.FROM THE PRATO DISTRICT OF TUSCANY (ABOUT WHICH THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT ARE PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE) IF THE ITALIANS WOULD AGREE TO THE PROPOSED GATT CONFERENCE. HE DOES NOT, HOWEVER, SEEN TO HAVE CONVINCED THE ITALIANS THAT SUCH A CONCESSION WOULD BE WORKABLE IN PRACTICE, AND THE ITALIANS REJECTED THE CONFERENCE PROPOSAL, AS THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD (MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE).
3. IN REPLY TO AN ITALIAN SUGGESTION THAT THE AMERICANS SHOULD REMEDY THEIR PROBLEM BY DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE RETHER THAN BY EXPORTING IT TO OTHER LESS PROSPEROUS COUNTRIES, STANS SAID THAT THE U.S. TEXTILES INDUSTRY HAD ALRESY INVESTED HEAVILY IN MODERN
EQUIPMENT LITTLE MORE COULD BE DONE BY INTERNAL MEANS TO
MAKE IT MORE COMPETITIVE.
4.
ACCORDING TO ROSSI LONGHI, THE AMERICANS GAVE THE IMPRESSION WITHOUT BEING SPECIFIC THAT IT WAS IMPORTS FROM ASIA,
RATHER THAN EUROPE, THAT REALLY WORRIED THEM.
FCO PASS FARIS AND ROUTINE TO WASHINGTON, TOKYO, HONG KONG,
*
BRUSSELS UKDEL TO EEC BRUSSELS, THE HAGUE, BONN, UK MISSION GENEVA, BERNE.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION
MR. SELBY
TRADE POLICY DEPT
HONG KONG DEPT
COMMODITIES DEPT
REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.51 24 APR 1969
CONFIDENTIAL
THICK 6 (2014/1
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