TNAG-0762-FCO40-966-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-(MFA)-on-Hong-Kong-ex-1978 — Page 31

f

with it) and safeguards (since this would provide one means of

providing industrial countries with the right to take selective

action while perhaps giving some reassurance to developing

countries on the kind of case in which such action would be

taken).

The MTN Agriculture Group has set up a procedure of requests by

exporting countries and offers in return by importing countries

covering tariff and non-tariff barriers on agricultural products.

Requests have now been submitted to the main parties to the

negotiation and offers will shortly be considered. Separate

consideration is being given to cereals, meat and dairy products.

Meetings are taking place of the MTN Sub-Groups concerned

with meat and dairy products to consider multilateral solutions

in the meat and dairy sectors. The main forum for the current

discussion of cereals is the International Wheat Council which

is considering a possible text of a new International Wheat

Agreement with a view to convening a negotiating conference

early in 1978. If these discussions go well there will have to

be in due course some linking in with the work of the MTN8.

The main parties to the negotiations have also submitted

requests to others on industrial non-tariff barriers which are

not under consideration in the discussions described in sub

paragraph d above. There are likely to be similar requests

presented in due course in respect of industrial tariffs on

the part of those countries developing countries but also

some developed

countries

-

who for one reason or another prove

unable to apply the agreed tariff formula.