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East-West Trade
W33
13.
Er, Stans said that the attidude of President Nixon on this subject generally liberal, but that he would like to know more of the attitude of H.M.G. The President replied that we would welcons liberalisation of COCOM; this had be-- discussed with President Nixon during his recent visit to London when we had been. encouraged by his attitude. We were anxious to expand our trade with the Eastern bloc
such and while we had no wish to be unco-operative we felt that a number of item as computers, in which we could have a legitimate trado, were being held up. unreasonably. We were asked how payments were made for such trade and The President described the bartering arrangements to which we have resorted; in some cases the goods we had had to accept in exchanges had resulted in complaints from domestic manufacturers.
Non-Tariff Barriers
14. Mr. Stans said that the US Administration now regarded.NTB's as the principal obstacle to freer trade, and were putting their full weight behind the study currently being carried out by a GATT Working Party. They favoured an "open tablo" policy on NTB by which all these barriers would be studied openly to improve knowledge of how they operated. The present stage of the exercise was due to be completed by .the Autumn; its success would depend on the quality of the information submitted
by the participating countries.
15. He had gained the impression during his trip that other countries were locking to America for a load in the NTB exercise. Ha felt that the present tine, when Germany and Italy both had trade surpluses, was opportuns as those countries were more likely to be generous, and might even unilaterally remove barriers to trade.
16.
Mr. Stans said he recognised that there were barriers of various kinds on both sides. In fact, if ora looked at the list of berriers notified to the GATT ore got the impression that more were imposed by the United States than by any other country. However, the U.S. wished to bring them all out into the light of day. There were several that he wished particularly to mention.
Border Taxes
17. Not enough was knowhabout how the adjustment for indirect taxes at frontiers worked to be able to see within the adjustment process was neutral to trade or not. Azerican businessmen had the firm belief that it constituted a barrier of 13%-15%, which also operated against them in third countries.
18.
The President replied that U.K. businessman felt the sans way, though economists were divided on the effect of the adjustment process; he himself had some sympathy for the U.S. view. Though no real evidence had yet been produced to prove
warrant a GATT damage to trade, there was sufficient possibility of demage to investigation and he strongly supported it;
Government Purchasing
19.
From the American view point exporters would like to see purchasing practices of Government agencies of other countries open and above board; the preferences give to domestic suppliers were clear and open in the U.S.A., whereas this was far from
/true
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