Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume IV, Foreign Assistance, International Development, Trade Policies, 1969–1972

277. CIEP Decision Memorandum No. 14¹

Washington, September 25, 1972.

MEMORANDUM FOR

• Special Representative for Trade Negotiations

FROM

• Peter M. Flanigan

SUBJECT

• Trade Negotiations with the European Community

The President in the light of the discussions in the Council on International Economic Policy of September 11, 1972 relating to your August 21, 1972 memorandum entitled “US Response to Developing US-EC Trade Confrontation”² has decided that for the present you should pursue a policy of modified confrontation exerting controlled but mounting pressures on issues involving both our trade interests and the principles of the present system. This should be done bearing in mind the overriding importance of our political relations with Europe and the probability that our trade problems cannot be satisfactorily resolved except in the context of larger policy considerations.

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Agency Files, Box 219, CIEP. Confidential. Copies were sent to the Secretaries of State, the Treasury, Defense, Agriculture, and Commerce; the CEA Chairman; and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs. This memorandum is Tab D to Document 281. An earlier version of this language comprises a memorandum from Flanigan to Eberle, September 12. (Ibid.)
2. An account of the September 11 meeting is in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. III, Document 100. The August 21 memorandum was not found.