Office of the Historian

295. Minutes of a Senior Interdepartmental Group–International Economic Policy Meeting1

Washington, April 22, 1983, 4 p.m.

ATTENDEES

  • Treasury

    • Secretary Regan
    • Beryl Sprinkel
    • Marc Leland

  • Office of Vice President

    • G. Philip Hughes

  • State

    • Kenneth Dam
    • Richard McCormack

  • Defense

    • Fred C. Ikle
    • Donald Goldstein

  • Agriculture

    • Alan Tracy

  • Commerce

    • Secretary Baldrige
    • Michael Liikala

  • CIA

    • Henry Rowen
    • Maurice Ernst

  • OMB

    • Alton Keel

  • CEA

    • Martin Feldstein

  • USTR

    • Michael B. Smith
    • Harvey Bale

  • OPD

    • Roger Porter

  • NSC

    • Paula Dobriansky
    • William Martin
    • Norman Bailey, Executive Secretary

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to the International Sugar Agreement.]

[Page 734]

International Sugar Agreement

USTR Deputy Director Smith reported to the SIG that the United States needs to decide whether we should participate in the forthcoming meetings on an International Sugar Agreement. USTR and State strongly urged participation noting that while we are generally not favorably disposed to commodity agreements (e.g., SIG–IEP conclusions on coffee agreement),2 we have little to lose from entering into these discussions.3 By not participating, we give it higher visibility than if we do participate. Furthermore, the EC is the real culprit, and some of the criticism toward the EC’s common agricultural policy might be blunted if the United States were to become the scapegoat by not taking part. State also noted that these negotiations are viewed as very important by our Latin American friends. The SIG–IEP concurred with the views of State and USTR, but the Chairman did note that our general views on the undesirability of commodity agreements still holds.

[Omitted here is discussion of the Polish debt situation.]

  1. Source: Reagan Library, Roger Robinson Files, Subject File, SIG–IEP Meetings 04/28/1983–05/12/1983; NLR–487–6–44–15–1. Confidential. The meeting took place in the Indian Treaty Room at the White House. No drafting information appears on the minutes. Another portion of the minutes is printed as Document 138.↩
  2. See Document 290.↩
  3. In an April 28 action memorandum to Wallis recommending his approval of formal U.S. participation in negotiations for a new ISA, McCormack explained that Shultz had “consented to permit U.S. Government representatives to attend the negotiations on the new ISA, while reserving the right not to sign any subsequent agreement should the agreement not meet our minimum requirements.” (Department of State, Files of the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, W. Allen Wallis, Chrons; Memo to the Secretary/Staff and Departmental/Other Agencies; Memos to the Files; White House Correspondence, 1987–1987, Lot 89D378: Memos—Staff/Departmental 1982–1985) Wallis approved U.S. participation in negotiations for a new ISA, subject to “certain understandings” about the interpretation of the negotiating instructions for the delegation outlined in an undated covering memorandum. (Ibid.)↩