Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume IV, Foreign Assistance, International Development, Trade Policies, 1969–1972

234. National Security Decision Memorandum 65¹

Washington, June 12, 1970.

TO

• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of Treasury
• The Secretary of Agriculture
• The Secretary of Commerce
• The Secretary of Labor

SUBJECT

• Tariff Preferences for Developing Countries

The President has decided to amend NSDM 29 as follows:²

1. The United States will no longer insist that all major developed countries adopt a common scheme as a condition of U.S. participation in a system of generalized tariff preferences for the developing countries, subject to Congressional approval. This decision amends numbered paragraph 4 of NSDM 29. We will, of course, continue to insist on equitable burden sharing among the donor countries.

2. The elimination of reverse preferences which the U.S. will require of developing countries in order for them to benefit from U.S. tariff preferences may be phased out over a reasonable period of time, not to extend beyond 1975. This amends numbered paragraph 6 of NSDM 29.

Henry A. Kissinger

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, S/S Files: Lot 83 D 305, NSDM 65. Confidential. Copies were sent to the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations, the CEA Chairman, the AID Administrator, and the Budget Director. On May 21 the Department of State sent a telegram to Samuels at the OECD informing him of the substance of the soon-to-be-issued NSDM. AID Deputy Administrator Poats sent a copy of the telegram to Bergsten under cover of a May 22 note: “Cheers! You deserve a medal, which your anonymous role will deny you, for this.” (Telegram 77562 to USOECD; Washington National Records Center, Agency for International Development, Executive Secretariat Files: FRC 286 73 A 518, ECF 4 International Trade FY 1970 October 1969-April 1970)
2. Document 218. The amendments are pursuant to recommendations in Document 232.