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

260. Letter From Senators Warren G. Magnuson, Henry M. Jackson, and Clair Engle to President Kennedy⁰

Washington, February 20, 1963.

My Dear Mr. Secretary: We are writing to you, and to Secretary of Agriculture Freeman, regarding present restrictions on the entry of American poultry into the markets of the European Economic Community. These result, we are advised, from Regulation No. 22 of the E.E.C. adopted at Brussels on April 4, 1962.¹ The poultry producers of our states have made it clear that the effect of the present E.E.C. policy is to price U.S. poultry out of Community countries.

The background of this, according to the Department of Agriculture, is that poultry meat consumption in Community countries has been increasing much more rapidly than production in recent years. There was an increase of net imports into the area from 29 million pounds in 1955 to 181 million in 1960. In the same period, U.S. exports of frozen poultry to the E.E.C. rose to 93 million pounds from 0.1 million pounds. In 1961, the 128 million pounds of fresh and frozen poultry the United States shipped to the Federal Republic of Germany accounted for 85 per cent of the 150 million pounds shipped to the entire Community area.

Now, however, according to our poultry producers, exports to the Federal Republic of Germany have been reduced to nearly nothing since August 1, 1962, the effective date of the E.E.C.’s increased tariff restrictions.

We are sure you appreciate the fact that the American poultry industry operates without any price support or production control program, and seeks only an opportunity to compete fairly within the Community’s markets.

It would be most helpful to have a report on your schedule for pursuing this problem with the E.E.C. and its member governments, with particular reference to whatever provisions of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962² and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade you may contemplate invoking.

With high regards.

Sincerely,

• Warren G. Magnuson
• Henry M. Jackson
• Clair Engle

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, INCO-POULTRY US. No classification marking.
1. For a summary of Regulation 22, adopted by the Council of the EEC, January 14, 1962, and enacted April 4, 1962, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1962, p. 589.
2. See footnote 2, Document 251.