TNAG-0149-FCO40-185-Cotton-textiles-to-France-1969 — Page 109

2.5/1

CONFIDENTIAL

BRITISH EMBASSY,

PARIS.

11 February, 1969.

25

240/1

}

1

Dear Miss leggleston,

Franco/Japanese Trade

Thank you for your letter CRE 25177/G of 21 January in which you ask various questions about the extent of French liberalisation measures on trade with Japan. I had a long discussion on this subject today with 1. Baudry in the Quai Branly.

2.

1. Baudry was very amused when I told him of the Japanese claim that the United Kingdom's list of restricted items is

He said longer than that of any other developed country. that on the contrary he thought it was probably shorter than any other. He believes that Italy has the longest list, and France probably cones second with forty seven industrial items. The answers to your specific questions are as follows:

(a) and (b).

1. Baudry gave me the enclosed two lists, one of customs positions on which restrictions are applied to G.A.T.T. countries, and one containing items restricted for the ex C.E.E.C. countries and Canada and the United States. The positions where Japan is discriminated against are those which are contained in the first list but not in the second.

(c).

The restrictions are almost entirely quantitative, although there is one particular item, watches, where an individual import licencing system applies, but where there is an agreement that above a certain amount licences will not be given.

(a).

list of current import quotas is enclosed.

(e).

As you will probably know talks are going on in Tokyo at the moment about the 1969 Frotocol to the Commercial greement.

1

/All

Miss M. Eggleston,

Commercial Relations and Export Department,

Board of Trade,

1, Victoria Street,

London, S.W.1.

CONFIDENTIAL