§ 40. Mr. John Smithasked the Minister for Trade if he is satisfied with trade relations between the United States of America and the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter ReesA serious deterioration in trade relations between the United States and the countries of the European Community has been caused by the United States anti-dumping and countervailing investigations into steel imports from a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, by the United States measures designed to restrict the export of certain oil and gas equipment to the Soviet Union by non-United States Companies, and by the protectionist legislation in Congress which will continue the exclusion of foreign printers from the United States market.
§ 41. Sir William van Straubenzeeasked the Minister for Trade whether he will make a statement on his recent visit to the United States of America.
§ Mr. Peter ReesI had meetings in Washington with senior members of the United States Administration and of Congress. These meetings covered both trade policy and United States claims to extraterritorial jurisdiction in economic matters. In particular, I stressed that the current disputes over steel and United States attempts to prevent the export of certain oil and gas equipment to the Soviet Union by non-United States companies are seriously damaging to trade relations between the United States and countries of the European Community.