313. Final Report by the United States1
UNITED STATES TARIFF CLASSIFICATION
Final Report by the United States on the Negotiations under Article XXVIII on the Revised Tariff Schedules of the United States
The United States has reached the agreement envisaged by Article XXVIII with all thirty-five contracting parties which had negotiating rights under that article in relation to the application of rate increases involved in the revised Tariff Schedules of the United States and the eventual certification of a consolidated Schedule XX in terms of such revised tariff. This is, therefore, the final report in accordance with the Decision of June 30, 1965.2
It will be recalled that the United States Government informed the Contracting Parties on 14 March 1966 (L/2592)3 that interim agreements had been signed with twenty-five contracting parties. Since the submission of the progress report of 14 March 1966, negotiations have been completed and agreements signed with Japan,4 South Africa and the United Kingdom.5 The settlements with Japan and the United Kingdom were similar to the agreement with Canada in that the United States made compensatory rate reductions.6
[Page 832]With respect to the two remaining negotiations, with Sweden and the European Economic Community, joint letters have been submitted to the Secretariat7 providing for, subject to the continuation of negotiations, the substitution during the period prior to January 1, 1967 of United States concessions in terms of the new Tariff Schedules of the United States for concessions in the existing Schedule XX in which the EEC or its member states and Sweden have negotiating rights under Article XXVIII.
The United States will prepare as soon as possible a consolidated Schedule XX for review by the Contracting Parties.
A list of the countries with which agreements have been concluded is attached.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, FT 13–2 US. No classification marking. The source text is attached to circular airgram CA-251 to Geneva, July 11, which requests the Mission to transmit the report to the GATT Secretariat in accordance with the GATT Contracting Parties’ Decision on June 30, 1965, that the United States submit status reports to the GATT Contracting Parties. CA-251 was also sent to Brussels for USEC, to Bern, and to Stockholm.↩
- The decision of June 30, 1965, extended the waiver granted under GATT Article XXV, paragraph 5 to June 30, 1966; text in General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, Basic Instruments and Selected Documents, Fourteenth Supplement (Geneva, July 1966), p. 43.↩
- Not found.↩
- “Following repeated requests from the Japanese for offers of deeper cuts on items contained in the proposed compensation package, the U.S. Delegation obtained sufficiently broadened negotiating authority to permit a conclusion of the negotiations” on June 28. The GATT Secretariat was informed of the successful conclusion of these U.S.-Japan talks on June 30. (Tagg A–909, July 10; Department of State, Central Files, FT 7 GATT)↩
- Negotiations with South Africa and the United Kingdom have not been further identified.↩
- Not further identified.↩
- The U.S. and EEC joint notification to the GATT Secretariat was signed on June 30; an identical joint letter was signed by the United States and Swedish delegations. (Tagg A–909 from Geneva, July 10; Department of State, Central Files, FT 7 GATT)↩
- No classification marking.↩