6th August, 1969
Thank you for your letter SD/VB of the 23rd July about
Japan.
I will first of all reply to the question in your last paragraph because an understanding of the present position is clearly necessary to the proper consideration of the other points you make.
We met the Japanese in London on the 24th June and gave them an offer list and a request list. The offer list was divided into two parts, the first listing the items (knitted fabrics Ex 6006, narrow fabrics 5806 and 5913 and nets and netting Ex 5808 and 5905) which it was agreed during the 1968 talks should be liberalised subject to detailed discuss- ions in 1969. The second part listed all the other non- cotton textile items still subject to restraint. We made it clear that we were ready to discuss with the Japanese the date by which these items should be liberalised and that the date could in no circumstances be before the end of 1972. The request list gave details of the concessions we want from the Japanese in return for our offer including, in the textile field, liberalisation of Japanese imports of wool textiles and the abolition of the alternative specific duty on Japanese imports of woven wool cloth. We of course stressed. the generous nature of our offer and pointed out that it was a very positive response to meet the Japanese case and could become the biggest step forward in Anglo-Japanese Commercial relations since the signing of the Treaty. But the offer could only be maintained if the Japanese were prepared to make a suitable counter offer in the form of appropriate con- cessions on the lines indicated in our request list. The Japanese Delegation made little comment except to say (as was perhaps to be expected) that it would be very difficult for them to make the sort of concessions we were seeking. Since then we have heard nothing more from the Japanese. The present position is therefore that we are still waiting for a Japanese reaction to our offer and request lists.
Mr. Stuart Douglas,
British Man-Made Fibres Federation, 41/42 Dover Street,
LONDON, W.1.
t
/Wc
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