Evening star., 1938-01-08
j. s. AND BRITAIN
PUSH TRADE PACT.
Public Hearings on New
Agreement Open Here
on March ID.
BACKGROUND


One of tauorite Neu Deal pro-
grams has been that OF efectinQ
reciprocal trade treaties NTH other
nations BY ,hich tdri6 concessions
hare been bartered in the hope of
stimulating international trade.
Negotiations OF such an agreement
NTH the British Empire ,oould be
major accomplishment OF program.
By the Associated Press.
The United States and Great
Britain moved today toward the final
stages of significant commercial ac-
cord climaxing Secretary of State
Hull's foreign trade program.
The proposed pact which Secretary
Hull formally proclaimed last night
his intention Of negotiating with the
United Kingdom, will involve a globe
girdling market.
It will embrace not only Britain but
her far-flung colonial empire and
Newfoundland. Only India, the do
minions and Ireland will be excluded.
Actual negotiation Of the agreement,
designed to achieve mutual tariff
concessions. will begin as soon Is
American interests have made known
their views concerning specific items
of commerce.
Long List of Imports.
Secretary Hull made public q long
list Of imports on which the United
States will consider granting conces-
sions. Accompanying it was a notice
that public hearings will be opened
here March IA for interested parties.
February 10 was fixed as the closing
date for submission of briefs by i'm
porters, exporters, producers or manu-
facturers, and for applications to be
heard at the public meetings.
Secretary Hull said a British dele
CATION of trade experts would sail
from Britain around the first of Feb
ruary for the United States to begin
discussions with United States ex-
perts.
A list of exports on which Britain
may grant tariff concessions was not
issued here. This was left to the Brit
ish government to give out.
New Canadian Pact.
A similar announcement is expected
shortly with regard to . new trade
agreement with Canada A State De-
partment Official said it was believed
South Africa and later Australia
would follow.
British and American economic ex-
perts have been engaged for more
than year in preliminary work on
the projected agreement.
The list Of potential American con-
cessions includes whisky and other
spirits, dressed furs, tin, rubber, boots
and shoes, gloves, leather goods woolen
and cotton textiles and certain types
OF salted and picked fish.
In exchange for better customs
treatment of such British goods as
these, the United States hopes to OBJ
tain concessions from the empire
which would widen the market there
for American agricultural products,
among other things.
The United Kingdom already is the
United States largest foreign market.
It absorbed American exports valued
at $40, 0,122,000 in 1886, or nearly ls
per cent of this country's entire sales
abroad. It supplied this country with
goods valued at 5000, 1876 900, or about
per cent Of the entire United States
imports.
Since adoption Of the reciprocal
trade act in 1884, the United States
has concluded agreements with these
countries:
Cuba, Belgium, Haiti, Sweden, Bra
I'll, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzer-
land, Honduras, Colombia, France,
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Finland, Costa
Rica and Ell Salvador.
Similar agreements are in process
of negotiation with Ecuador, Czecho-
slovakia, Venezuela and Turkey.