HF 1731 •A2 Аз UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION Joseph E. Talbot, Chairman J. Allen Overton, Jr. Vice Chairman Walter R. Schreiber Glenn W. Sutton J. Weldon Jones William E. Dowling Donn N. Bent, Secretary Address ali communications to United States Tariff Commission Washington 25, D. C. Foreword This, the 11th report of the United States Tariff Commission on the operation of the trade agreements program, covers the period from July 1, 1957, through June 30, 1958. The 11th report has been prepared in conformity with the provisions of section 350(e) (2) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, which requires the Tariff Commission to submit to the Congress, at least once a year, a factual report on the operation of the trade agreements program. Before the amendment of the 1/ Tariff Act of 1930 by the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1955, various Executive orders had directed the Commission to prepare similar annual reports and to submit them to the President and to the Congress. During the period covered by the 11th report, the Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade did not sponsor any multilateral tariff negotiations of the Geneva-Annecy-Torquay type. Shortly before the close of the period covered by the report, however, they commenced negotiations with Switzerland looking toward its provisional accession to the General Agreement. During the period covered by the report the United States engaged in limited trade-agreement negotiations, under article XXV of the General Agreement with Brazil ̄ ̄1/ Sec. 350(e)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, requires the President to submit to the Congress an annual report on the operation of the trade agreements program. In accordance with this requirement, the President on May 19, 1958. transmitted to the Congress his second annual report (H. Doc. 384, 85th Cong., 2d sess., 1958). The requirements for the reports by the Tariff Commission and the President were added to sec. 350 by sec. 3(d) of the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1955. and under article XXVIII with Austria, Canada, Ceylon, Greece, and the Union of South Africa. The report describes the initiation of the negotiations with these countries; the negotiations were not completed with any of these countries by June 30, 1958. The 11th report also covers other important developments during 1957-58 with respect to the trade agreements program. These include the new legislation relating to the extension of the President's authority to conclude trade agreements; the proposed legislation concerning United States participation in the Organization for Trade Cooperation; the establishment by Executive order of the Cabinet-level Trade Policy Committee; the major developments relating to the general provisions and administration of the General Agreement; the actions of the United States relating to its trade agreements program; and the changes made in tariffs, exchange controls, and quantitative trade restrictions by countries with which the United States has trade agree ments. CONTENTS 21 88414 5v New Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1955----- Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1958: Proposals by the administration-- Provisions of the new act------ Authority to reduce rates of duty----- Authority to increase rates of duty----- National security provision---- Proposed legislation concerning United States participation in the Organization for Trade Establishment of the Trade Policy Committee---- Provisions of Executive Order 10741-. Items arising from the operation of the General Agreement: Complaints settled by June 30, 1958: Brazilian internal taxes (art. III)- French compensatory tax on imports (art. II)---- Greek increase of a bound duty (art. XIX)------- United Kingdom subsidization of exports of eggs, cattle, and potatoes (art. XVI)-- Complaints not settled by June 30, 1958: French discrimination against imported agricultural machinery (art. III)-- French stamp tax on imports (art. II)-- CONTENTS Items arising from the operation of the General Agreement--Con. Complaints not settled by June 30, 1958--Continued Revision of the Brazilian tariff (art. II)- Czechoslovak and New Zealand exchange-agreement obligations (third annual report) (art. XV). European Coal and Steel Community (fifth and sixth annual reports) (arts. I and XIII). 62 641 United Kingdom obligations with respect to products Special problems of the dependent overseas territories of the United Kingdom (third annual United States restrictions on imports of agricultural 70 |