SECRET GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE

CONTRACTING PARTIES

ARTICIE XXVIII NEGOTIATIONS

. Notification by Greece

The following communication has.been received from the leader of i&e Greek delegation.

nI have been instructed by the Greek Government to inform.the CONTRACTING PARTIES.that it. is its desire to enter into negotiations 'for :• "the purpose of withdrawing certain tariff concessions appearing in Schedule XXV, thé binding nature of which expires on 30 June 1955. Details of the concessions to be withdrawn and of the contracting parties with which these concessions were initially negotiated are given in the attached schedule.

"The Greek Government, which is ready to begin negotiations as from 15 May 1955> would like to see the negotiations concluded before 30 June 1955 so that it may be in a position to give its full consent to any decision or declaration of the CONTRACTING PARTIES for the prolongation beyond that date of the binding effect of the Schedules appended to the General Agreement,

"The negotiations in question are usually governed by the provisions of Article XXVIII of the General Agreement, During the current Session of the CONTRACTING PARTIES, the Greek delegation has, on various occasions, stressed the difficulties which the strict and full application of Article XXVIII might have in the special case of Greece, as the available margins of compensation appear particularly restricted in so far as concerns the Greek Government.

"In making this request, the Greek delegation would refer, in connection with the factors which confer a special nature on the Greek case, to the state­ments which it made before the CONTRACTING PARTIES on 15 and 16 November 1954-(SR.9/15, pages 8-9, and SR.9/16, page A) and to paragraphs I and II of document W.9/U of 27 November 1954. It feels sure that a broad interpretation of the provisions of Article XXVIII could lead to an equitable solution, especially when account is taken of -the fact that Greece, having liberalized over 97 per cent of its import trade since April 1953» prefers, in the present circum­stances, not to make use of the provisions of the General Agreement which permit recourse to quantitative restrictions.

NO. 34- ~ SECRET/23 1U February 1955

Original: French

SECRET/23 Page 2

"Such an interpretation would reflect the spirit of wide comprehension which has prevailed throughout the Ninth Session and which has led the contracting parties, in their desire to remedy specific cases, to admit not only a flexible application Of' the General Agreement but also formal exceptions to its most fundamental provisions, involving much more important interests.

"In the circumstances, the Greek Government hopes that the CONTRACTING PARTIES will, in the spirit of the above-mentioned considerations, adopt a resolution authorizing the opening on 15 May 1955 of the negotiations which the Greek delegation to the Ninth Session has the honour tcr propose."

i

SBOHEP/23 'Page 3

SCH3DULE

of Tariff items for which the Greek Government proposes changing the rates in Schedule X3CV to the General Agreement

Greek Tariff Item

Number

Description of Products

Rate of duty in metallic drachmae

Originally negotiated

with

42 leather gloves: a.l. without furs and without embroideries,

the pair 0.80 France

45 Fur, pine and beech wood: c. sawn, viz: beams, deals, joists, planks,

slitdeals, flooring and ceiling boards, laths, etc.: „

1. More than 50 mm. thick The n 2. More than 15 mm. up to 50 mm, thick

The M3 o 3. 15 mm. or less The W

10.50* Austria

10.50* 15*

Austria Austria

46 Oak, chestnut, poplar, elm, ash, maple, platane, cyprus, cedar, linden, willow and any other wood not specifically specified:

c. sawn, of all shapes and dimensions: 1, unwrought, unplaned The M3 12 3. boards composed of sheets of plywood of

common wood such as birch, alder, pine, and similar not making up a finished article ' The M3 60*

France

trance Sweden Canada Finland

47

d.

Furniture wood (walnut, box,, mahogony, rosewood, thuya and odiferous wood, palm and similar): Furniture wood in boards composed of sheets of plywood, of more than 2 mm. thiflk. even covered by thin sheets, for lining 100 kgs 12* Canada

Finland

Increased by 50 per ceni;-in accordance with a decision of the CONTRACTING PARTIES of 24 October 1953 (Basic Instruments and Selected Documents, Second Supplement, page 24),

S3CRET/23 Page 4

Greek Tariff Item

Number

Description of Products

Rate of duty in metallic drachmae

Originally-negotiated

with

4-8

50

b.

62

63

71

2.

i.l.

Staves for casks and other uses (parquetry, etc.): wrought (grooved, planed) 100 kgs

Articles of wood: spools and bobbins of all kinds for spinning mills, also weavers combs of any material and wooden reels for thread

100 kgs

i.2, shuttles for weaving looms 100 kgs

Rolled or drawn iron, unwrought as it leaves the mills:

ex a. (new item a bis) In bars having a circular section ad valorem

Sheet iron, flat, corrugated, striated, etc. of natural colour:

a. of natural, colour up to 4.5 mm.: 1. of plain iron ad valorem

of galvanized or tinned iron ad valorem

a. Wires of iron: 1. plain ad valorem

2. barbed ad valorem

3. tinned, galvanized, coppered or nickeled

b. Wire of copper, brass or any other common metal not elsewhere specified ad valorem

3*

6*

12*

8%: **

956 **

9fo-I**

Italy

United Kingdom Finland

United Kingdo.

Benelux Austria

Benelux France Austria

Benelux

9%**

9$**

9$**

%**

France Austria

Austria

France

New item consolidated during the Athens negotiations

**

Increased by 50 per cent in accordance with a decision of the CONTRACTING PARTIES of 24 October 1953 (Basic Instruments and Selected Documents, Second Supplement, page 24).

Rates changed in September 1953, having been the subject of negotiations in Athens in November-December 1953.

SECRET/23 Page 5

Greek. Tariff Item

Number

description of Products

Rate of Originally duty in negotiated metallic with drachmae

.71 cont'd

100

c. Wire ropes:' 1. of iron wires ad valorem 2. . of iron wires, tinned^ galvanized, nickeled

or coppered ad valorem 3. of iron wires covered with copper, brass or

any other common metal not elsewhere specified ad valorem

a. Machines, apparatus and utensils of domestic economy: such as laundering machines, bottle-washing and capping machines, coffee-grinding machines, etc.

123

134

ex b.

159

9$**

9$**

Instruments and apparatus for applied electricity:

c.2. Electrotechnic articles of bakélite or other similar artificial material, viz: contacts, switches, plugs, sockets, contact plugs etc. 100 kgs.

g. Heaters, fireplaces, cooking ranges, geysers (water-heaters), irons, all operating by electricity, weighing per piece:

1. up to 2 kgs. 100 kgs. 2. more than 2 kgs. and up to lo kgs.

. . 100 kgs. 3. more than 10 kgs. and up to 40 kgs.

100 kgs. 4. more than 40 kgs. 100 kgs.

Chemical products without deduction of tare for containers or envelopes:

g.ll. glycerine 100 kgs.

9# ,**

135*

15*

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

1. 2. 3.

up to 5 kgs. from 5 to 25 kgs. more than 25 kgs.

Aluminium: Aluminium in sheets

100 kgs. 100 kgs. 100 kgs.

100 kgs.

48* 45* 30*

30*

France France France

Canada

Germany

120*

90* '

45* 30*

Germany

Germany

Germany Germany

Benelux

**

Increased by 50 per cent in accordance with a decision of the CONTRACTING PARTIES of 24 October 1953 (Basic Instruments and Selected Documents, Second Supplement, page 24),

Rates changed in September 1953, having been the subject of negotiations in Athens in November-December 1953.

ÙECRST/23

Page 6

Greek Tariff. Item

Number

Description of Products Hate of duty in metallic drachmae

Originally-negotiated

with

160

161

197 bis

219

222

223

Calcium carbide

f.l. Absorbent cotton

100 kgs.

100 kgs.

i'iachine belting of rubber, pure or mixed: a. in pure rubher 100 kgs. b. in rubber mixed with textile materials

not superior in quantity, with or without metal threads 100 kgs.

Cotton yarn, single (classified in English numbers):

a. unbleached: 3. from No. 28 to No. 60

4. over No. 60

Cotton piece goods of the preceding tariff No. 221a to d, bleached or printed, including those which were printed after, having been dyed, as the unbleached of the same tariff number with an increase of the duty of the corresponding tariff number

100 kgs.

Piece goods composed of dyed yarns (even if the yarns are partially dyed) and also piece goods dyed in the piece, irrespect­ively of the number of threads:

1. weighing more than 180 grammes per sq. metre 100 kgs.

2. weighing more than' 130 grammes and up to 180 grammes per sq. metre 100 kgs.

3. weighing more than 90 and up to 130 grammes per sq. metre 100 kgs.

4. weighing more than 70 and up to 90 grammes per sq. metre 100 kgs.

5. weighing 70 grammes and under per sq. metre 100 kgs.

NOTE (a): Tariff No. 223 includes cotton piece goods dyed in the thread, irrespectively of regular or irregular weaving.

10

100

30

40

Union of South Africa

Italy

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

100 kgs.

100 kgs.

55

50

' United Kingdom 1 Italy United Kingdom Italy

plus 5% United Kingdom

155 United Kingdom

140 United Kingdom

155 United Kingdom

i65 United Kingdom

170 United Kingdom

oiïCEET/2C Page 7

Greek Tariff Item

Number

Description of Products

Rate of Originally duty in negotiated metallic with drachmae

232A b.

NOTE (b): Cotton piece goods of dyed yarn for curtains, tablecloths, bedsheets, up­holstery and similar uses are charged at the same rates as piece goods of Tariff No, 223 with an increase of the corresponding duty of the respective subdivision by 25%

Fabrics of continuous artificial or synthetic textile fibres:

1. of artificial textile fibres ad valorem 24$ ***

232B c. Fabrics of discontinuous artificial or synthetic textile fibres:

1, of artificial textile fibres ad valorem 24% * * *

234 Woollen yarn, single or twisted, pure or mixed with other t e x t i l e mater ia l s , except s i l k :

a. unbleached or bleached of one or two strands: 1. up to 10,000 metres of yarn per kg.

100 kgs. 2. more than 10,000 metres and up to 30,000

metres per kg. 100 kgs. 3. more than 30,000 metres 100 kgs.

b. the same with several strands, irrespective of length 100 kgs.

c. dyed (wholly or partly) are liable to duty as above, with increase of the duty of the corresponding subdivision by 100 kgs.

261 Tresses (plaits, ribbons) for straw hats: a. of esparto, straw, bark, agave, white

wood and other similar vegetable materials not specified or of paper:

1. not bleached 100 kgs. 2. bleached or dyed 100 kgs.

54*

•60* 82.50*

172.50*

20 30

United Italy, United Italy, United Italy, United Italy,

Kingdom Germany Kingdom Germany Kingdom Germany Kingdom Germany

plus 20% United Kingdom

I t a l y I t a l y

* * *

Increased by 50 per cent in accordance with a decision of the CONTRACTING PARTIES of 24 October 1953 (Basic Instruments and Selected Documents, Second Supplement, page 24) .

Rates imposed in accordance with paragraph 5 of the Note appended to Schedule XXV, having been the subject of negotiat ions in Athens in November-December 1953,

.'-EGR2T/23 Page 8

Qreek Tariff Item

Number

Description of Products

Rate of duty in metallic drachmae

Originally-negotiated

with

262

a . 1 .

àtraw hats and hats of bark, whitewood, paper, esparto, rush or other s imilar vegetable mater ia ls : t r e s ses , cone-shaped of a single piece: unbleached, not dyed, not formed, not trimmed each 0.20 Benelux

266

a. ilotor vehicles , new or used: l o r r i e s and also t he i r t r a i l e r s

ad valorem United States

267 b.

Bicycles: motorcycles, assembled or'not each 45* United Kingdom

Increased by 50 per cent in accordance with a decision of the CONTRACTING FARTIES of 24 October 1953 (Basic Instruments end Selected Documents, Second Supplement, page 24).