Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume IX, Foreign Economic Policy

225. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Ball) to President Kennedy⁰

Washington, September 22, 1961.

SUBJECT

• Request for Authority to Make Additional Offers to the European Economic Community and the United Kingdom

In accordance with your instructions, the Departments of Commerce and State have reviewed the list of items appended to the memorandum of September 11 from Secretary Rusk,¹ for which authority was requested to make tariff reduction offers below peril point levels established by the Tariff Commission. In this joint review agreement has been reached between the two Departments with respect to certain modifications of the list, as set forth in a letter which the Secretary of Commerce transmitted to you today.² There is attached for your approval a revised list of commodities³ reflecting the modifications agreed to between the two Departments. Of the 66 items contained in the previous list, 58 have been retained without change, two items have been wholly deleted, three have been modified by exclusion of certain parts, and three have been made subject to a condition. On the other hand, three new items have been added to offset the deletions. Trade coverage has been increased by $7.3 million for the EEC and by $3.3 for the U.K.

You will recall that the memorandum of September 11 also recommended that the United States Delegation be given authority to offer tariff bindings at present rates on a second list of commodities, which would not involve any breaching of peril points. The Department of Commerce has also concurred in this recommendation.

Recommendation:

I recommend that you authorize the United States Delegation to the current tariff conference in Geneva to make additional offers of tariff reductions or tariff bindings to the EEC and the U.K., as indicated in the attached lists and to the extent deemed necessary by the Delegation in order to achieve significant and substantial reductions in the tariffs of the EEC and the U.K. Your approval is requested at your earliest conven-ience since we are trying to conclude the negotiations as soon as possible.⁴

George W. Ball⁵

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 394.41/9-2661. Confidential.
1. Document 224.
2. Not found.
3. Two attached lists are not printed.
4. On September 26, President Kennedy approved Under Secretary Ball’s recommendation. (Memorandum from Bundy to Rusk, September 26; Department of State, Central Files, 394.41/9-2661)
5. Printed from a copy that indicates Ball signed the original.