Office of the Historian

358. Aide-Memoire From the Department of State to the British Embassy1

Washington, November 30, 1967.

The Department of State acknowledges receipt of the British Embassy’s Aide-Memoire of November 16, 1967,2 concerning a proposed amendment of Rule 36 under the Wool Products Labeling Act,3 as published in the Federal Register of November 2, 1967.4

The Department of State has carefully noted the views of Her Majesty’s Government that the latest revision of the proposed Rule does not appear to take account of points raised in the Embassy’s Aide-Memoire of July 21, 1967, that it would have the effect of discriminating against imports of wool products, that it would be contrary to the provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and that if the Rule is implemented in its present form Her Majesty’s Government would wish to reserve its right to seek redress under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

The Department of State wishes to assure Her Majesty’s Government that, far from disregarding the points raised in the Embassy’s Aide-Memoire of July 21, 1967, both the Department and the Federal Trade Commission gave long and searching consideration to the views contained therein as well as to the views expressed by other interested Governments.

The Department wishes to assure the British Embassy that Rule 36 is not intended to interfere with foreign trade. The Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939 has long required American wool products manufacturers to keep detailed and costly records of fiber content through all stages of manufacture. Regulations to assure the compliance of imported wool products have, however, been inadequate. The Rule, prompted by exportation of mislabeled wool products to the United States, is designed to provide substantial equality in the administration of the Wool Products Labeling Act as between domestic and imported wool products.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, INCO–WOOL 17 US. No classification marking. Drafted by Mary E. McDonnell and Martin Y. Hirabayashi (E/OT/STA) on November 29, and cleared by Joseph K. Newman (EUR/BMI).↩
  2. Attached but not printed.↩
  3. See Document 339.↩
  4. Federal Register, vol. 32, pp. 15180–15184.↩