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$Unique_ID{COW00561}
$Pretitle{405}
$Title{United Kingdom
External Economic Relations}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC}
$Affiliation{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC}
$Subject{community
countries
trade
states
european
co-operation
economic
aid
million
agreement}
$Date{1990}
$Log{}
Country: United Kingdom
Book: Britain in the European Community
Author: Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC
Affiliation: Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC
Date: 1990
External Economic Relations
Under the Treaty of Rome the Community, which is the world's largest
trading unit, is pledged to promote world trade, development and peace. In
most international economic negotiations the Commission negotiates on a
mandate from the Council of Ministers. Most countries have diplomatic
representatives accredited to the Community, which in turn has its own
delegations to the United States, Canada, Japan and countries in Latin
America, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific, the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris and the international
organisations based in Geneva. The Community has observer status at the
United Nations.
Commercial Policy
Article 110 of the Treaty of Rome pledges the signatories to contribute
to the harmonious development of world trade, the progressive abolition
of restrictions on international trade and the lowering of customs barriers.
Article 113 also provides for a common commercial policy, which is applicable
to tariff rates, export policy, and measures to liberalise or protect trade,
such as the elimination of quantitative restrictions or action against
dumping or subsidies.
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
Acting on behalf of the Community, the Commission takes part in bilateral
and multilateral trade negotiations, the latter being conducted mainly within
the framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which has
been in existence since 1947 and aims to reduce and remove barriers to trade
in goods. There are 97 signatories to the agreement and a further 30 countries
apply it on a provisional basis. As a result of the Tokyo Round negotiations
from 1973 to 1979, the Community and the other major developed countries
reduced tariffs by 25 to 30 per cent and the Community tariff dropped to an
average level of 7.5 per cent. The eighth round of negotiations, the Uruguay
Round, was launched in 1986 and will end in December 1990 with a meeting in
Brussels. It aims to strengthen the GATT system and extend it to cover new
areas, such as services, intellectual property and investment.
Britain is committed to the open multilateral trading system and the GATT
and, through the Community, intends to continue to promote the further
liberalisation of international trade. It wants to see all countries taking on
a greater share of GATT obligations, according to their level of development,
and would like to see a reduction in the remaining high tariffs in developed
countries. The British Government would also like the GATT to apply more fully
to trade in agriculture and textiles, and favours stricter rules for the
resolution of disputes between GATT members and the extension of the principle
of open trade to international trade in services.
Multi-Fibre Arrangement
The Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA), introduced in 1974, consists of a
series of agreements covering international trade in textiles and clothing
and is designed to balance the interests of importing and exporting countries.
Under the arrangement, the Community has bilateral agreements with 26 low-cost
supplying countries which either limit by quota the import into the Community
of textiles and clothing or provide for the introduction of quotas if imports
rise above certain levels; other suppliers are covered by similar
arrangements. In 1986 the bilateral agreements were extended to the end of
1991. The Community is committed to bringing trade in textile and clothing
products back within normal GATT rules after the present extension expires,
and this is under discussion in the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations.
Economic Agreements
In addition to the arrangements under the Lome Convention (see p 42),
the Community has concluded preferential agreements with Mediterranean
countries and non-preferential co-operation agreements with a number of
countries and groups of countries in Asia and Latin America.
European Free Trade Association
The six EFTA countries (Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and
Switzerland) together form the Community's largest trading partner. In
1972-73, as part of the accession arrangements for Britain and Denmark, the
Community signed substantially similar agreements with each of the EFTA
countries paving the way for free trade in industrial goods and some processed
agricultural products. In 1984 the Luxembourg Declaration by EFTA and
Community foreign ministers established a framework for further co-operation,
especially in improving the circulation of goods.
In December 1988 the Community reaffirmed its desire to strengthen and
expand relations with EFTA, and a meeting of Community and EFTA ministers
agreed that the Commission should open negotiations with EFTA countries on
methods of achieving this aim. In April 1989 Community and EFTA ministers
agreed on further action to increase co-operation and remove remaining
non-tariff barriers to trade, with the aim of creating a `European Economic
Space' encompassing the Community and EFTA.
Community and EFTA ministers, meeting in Brussels in December 1989,
agreed to the opening of formal negotiations on expanding their relations and
creating a European Economic Space. The principal aims are to achieve the free
movement of goods, services, capital and people; equal conditions for
competition; and greater co-operation in research and development, the
environment, education, working conditions and social welfare, consumer
protection, tourism and programmes for small- and medium-sized businesses.
The United States
The Community has close economic ties with the United States. In 1988
exports to the United States amounted to $84,528 million, and imports from the
United States to $79,392 million. There are also important links through
investment.
The substantial bilateral trade between the Community and the United
States is reflected in the interest which each partner takes in the other's
trade legislation. The Community monitors the activities of the United States
Congress, while the United States has shown a keen interest in the development
of the single market. Trade issues are the subject of frequent high-level
discussions between the two parties. In December 1989 the United States called
for strengthened links between it and the Community and, following a British
initiative, discussions are underway to develop a new transatlantic
consultative partnership.
The Mediterranean and the Middle East
The Community has concluded individual co-operation or association
agreements with virtually all non-member countries with a Mediterranean
coastline, plus Jordan. Their terms vary in detail, but all provide
duty-free access to Community markets for most industrial goods and varying
degrees of preferential access for agricultural products. The Community also
provides development aid - 84 million Pounds in 1988.
In June 1988 the Community signed an agreement with the Gulf Co-operation
Council (the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and
Kuwait). It provides for co-operation in agriculture and fisheries, industry,
energy, science and technology, investment, the environment, training and
trade. Negotiations are underway on a broader agreement based on free trade.
Latin America
Britain supports the establishment of closer links between the Community
and Latin America. Non-preferential framework agreements designed to
encourage commercial and econo