§ 9. Mr. Blakerasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take the initiative to arrange a conference through the agency of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade to reduce non-tariff barriers to trade.
§ Mr. MasonThe G.A.T.T. has been studying for some time the possibilities of reducing non-tariff barriers to international trade, and the contracting parties intend to consider at their next session a decision to initiate the appropriate action directed towards this end.
§ Mr. BlakerDoes that mean that the President of the Board of Trade rejects the view which has been ventilated in some quarters that such a conference should only take place after the end of our negotiations to join the Common Market?
§ Mr. MasonThe next session of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade to consider this problem will be in 1971. It has already set up two working parties on industrial and agricultural non-tariff barriers. The two committees will probably report in the summer. There is no reason why there should not be a G.A.T.T. session in 1971.