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Documents relatifs aux relations extérieures du Canada
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Volume #12 - 594. | |
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CHAPITRE VIII NATIONS UNIES | |
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7E PARTIE ITUTIONS SPÉCIALISÉES | |
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SECTION
C ORGANISATION INTERNATIONALE DU COMMERCE | |
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594. |
DEA/8378-40 |
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Mémorandum du sous-secrétaire d'État aux Affaires extérieures au Premier ministre. | |
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Ottawa,
le 24 avril 1946 | |
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We have just had word from the Washington Embassy that the United States feel obliged to propose yet a further postponement for the proposed preliminary talks on commercial policy. As you know, we have been proceeding on a programme that these talks would commence in London about the beginning of September, and would be preceded by conversations on tariffs and preferences between Commonwealth countries. The United Kingdom has suggested that these talks might begin about July 1st. The United States authorities feel that the slow Congressional progress of the United Kingdom Loan Agreement, which has to be disposed of before formal preparations for the commercial policy talks can be begun, now makes it necessary for them to revise the whole timetable on which they have been working. They fear that the publication required under Trade Agreements Act procedure of the very lengthy list of tariff items on which the United States would be prepared to negotiate reductions would throw the whole commercial policy programme into the November Congressional elections. They are now planning to publish these lists after the elections are out of the way. This will mean that the preliminary talks will not get started until March or April, 1947. This is a serious and disappointing decision, which the United States appear to have reached without consulting any of the other countries affected. My feeling has been that we had a real opportunity immediately after the end of the war and during the first phase of reconversion for drastic and relatively painless tariff revision. The longer this operation is postponed, the more difficult it will be to carry out, because new special interests, in abeyance in the war years, are rapidly getting re-established.† | |
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