Editorial Note
On September 21, 1953, the Trade Agreements Committee made formal recommendations to the President regarding the issues of Japanese accession to the GATT and the extension of tariff concessions under Article XXVIII. With regard to Japanese membership in the GATT, the Committee recommended that the United States seek agreement from the Contracting Parties for temporary accession based on the extension of GATT tariff concessions to Japan. In return, Japan would agree to accept the general provisions of the Agreement and to make additional concessions, such as promising not to increase a portion of its tariff schedule. With regard to Article XXVIII, the Committee recommended that the date governing the life of the existing tariff schedules in the GATT be extended “not less than 12 nor more than 18 months” beyond the existing date of January 1, 1954. The memorandum noted that the representative [Page 163] from the Department of Agriculture dissented and that the Tariff Commission member abstained from the recommendation. (Memorandum by the Chairman of the Trade Agreements Committee to the President, September 21, 1953, 394.31/9–2353) Both recommendations were delivered to President Eisenhower under cover of concurring memoranda from Under Secretary of State Smith, dated September 21, 1953, and received President Eisenhower’s approval on September 23, 1953.