TNAG-0144-FCO40-180-Exports-of-textiles-to-United-States-of-America-1969 — Page 178

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4. MR. DE BLOCK REPLIED THAT HE COULD SEE NO ECONOMIC JUST-

IFICATION FOR THE AMERICAN CASE: THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILE

INDUSTRIES BY THE GROWTH OF LARGE EFFICIENT UNITS WAS INEVITABLE

AND IT WAS UNREALISTIC TO TRY TO PROTECT SMALL UNECONOMIC

FIRMS: THE DUTCH HAD THE SAME PROBLEM: IF THE AMERICAN WOULD PROVIDE FULL FACTUAL INFORMATION, HE WOULD CONSIDER IT, BUT HE WAS SCEPTICAL: HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE

AMERICAN PROPOSALS WOULD BE WELL RECEIVED INTERNATIONALLY:

RESTRICTIONS OF IMPORTS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WAS CONTRARY TO GENERAL DUTCH POLICY. ON THE ITALIAN POINT, HE SAID THAT THE DUTCH HAD HAD DIFFICULTY WITH ITALIAN IMPORTS, BUT HAD FAILED TO FIND GROUNDS (E.G. OF SUBSIDISATION) FOR LIMITING THEM: SINCE THE DUTCH HAD FAILED WITHIN EEC, HE THOUGHT IT UNLIKELY THAT THE AMERICANS COULD PROVE A CASE. OFFICIALS ALSO POINTED OUT TO NEHMER THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF EEC COMMON COMMERCIAL POLICY WOULD PREVENT A BILATERAL AGREEMENT WITH

ITALY.

5. MR. DE BLOCK TOOK NO DEFINITE LINE ABOUT A GATT CONFERENCE.

OFFICIALS HOWEVER HAVE TOLD US THAT THE DUTCH ARE AGAINST

IT IN PRINCIPLE.

6. THERE WAS LITTLE DISCUSSION OF NON-TARIFF BARRIERS OR OF

BORDER TAXES. MR. STANS EMPHASISED THAT THE BORDER TAX

PROBLEM WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE AMERICANS AND FIRST REQUIRED

FULL DISCUSSION TO CLARIFY IT. THE DUTCH SAID THAT THEY

COULD SEE THE AMERICAN DIFFICULTY, BUT HAD NO SOLUTION TO

OFFER.

7. MR. STANS SPOKE STRONGLY AGAINST THE MANSHOLT PLAN 1.

IF ADOPTED IT WOULD BE DISASTROUS AND WOULD WRECK MANY AMERICAN

AGRICULTURAL POLICIES. HE PARTICULARLY CRITICISED THE COMMISSION PROPOSALS ON SOYA BEANS AND TOBACCO. MR. DE BLOCK SAID THAT THE DUTCH SHARED HIS VIEWS ON SOYA BEANS, WHICH MR. STANS SHOULD PRESS IN OTHER CAPITALS: THEY HAD PROPOSED AMENDMENTS IN BRUSSELS ON TOBACCO WHICH WERE IN THE DIRECTION

OF THE AMERICAN INTEREST.

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/8. IN HIS