17. Editorial Note

On April 1, 1977, President Jimmy Carter announced that the United States would seek orderly marketing agreements on footwear imports. Noting his reluctance “to restrict international trade in any way,” Carter asserted: “Only problems as extreme as those faced by the American shoe industry could force me to seek even modest mandatory limits on imports.” Carter explained that his decision in favor of orderly marketing agreements reflected his conclusion that the U.S. International Tariff Commission’s tariff rate quota proposal “did not fairly balance our concerns for domestic jobs and production, inflationary pressures, and expanded world trade.” In addition to the orderly marketing agreements, Carter announced the expansion of corporate and worker assistance for the footwear industry. For Carter’s statement on his decisions concerning the U.S. footwear industry, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Jimmy Carter, 1977, Book I, pages 550–551. Carter’s April 1 message to Congress forwarding his decisions is ibid., pages 551–552. Carter’s April 1 memoranda to Special Representative for Trade Negotiations Robert Strauss and to various department and agency heads on his decisions are ibid., pages 552–554.