Operation of the TRADE AGREEMENTS PROGRAM 10th Report July 1956-June 1957 PREPARED IN CONFORMITY WITH SECTION 3 OF THE UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION EDGAR B. BROSsard, Chairman JOSEPH E. TALBOT, Vice Chairman WALTER R. SCHREIBER GLENN W. SUTTON J. WELDON JONES WILLIAM E. DOWLING DONN N. BENT, Secretary Address all communications Washington 25, D. C. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D. C. - Price 50 cents Foreword This, the 10th report of the United States Tariff Commission on the operation of the trade agreements program, covers the period from July 1, 1956, through June 30, 1957. The 10th report has been prepared in conformity with the provisions of section 3 of the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1955 and Executive Order 10082 of October 5, 1949. Section 3 of the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1955 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 passage of 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. The latest of such orders-Executive Order 10082 of October 5, 1949—is still in effect. During the period covered by the 10th report, the Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade did not sponsor any multilateral tariff negotiations. The United States, however, engaged in limited trade-agreement negotiations, under the General Agreement, with Cuba and with the United Kingdom and Belgium. The report describes these negotiations and analyzes the concessions that the United States granted to and obtained from Cuba, as well as the compensatory concessions that it granted to the United Kingdom and to Belgium. The 10th report also covers other important developments during 1956-57 with respect to the trade agreements program. These include the proposed legislation concerning United States participation in the Organization for Trade Cooperation; 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; the recent developments with respect to European economic integration, such as the Common Market and the proposed European free-trade area; the present relationship to the General Agreement of the various multilateral associations and regional groupings of countries that have grown up since World War II; and the changes made in exchange controls and quantitative trade restrictions by countries with which the United States has trade agreements. CONTENTS Principal provisions of the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1955... Proposed legislation concerning United States participation in the Organization for Page Items arising from the operation of the General Agreement.. Reports on existing waivers of obligations: Australian special customs treatment of products of Papua and New Guinea Belgian quantitative restrictions on imports (first annual report) (art. XI).. Czechoslovak and New Zealand exchange-agreement obligations (second |