July 1951 COMffiRCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 81 



General Permit 4-F exempts canned goods packed in glass in cartons and in tin 

 in cartons in mixed oars when such cars are loaded to 60,000 pounds or more. 



Department of State 



ACCESSION OF CERTAIN COUNTRIES TO GENER^y^ AGRBEMSNT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE ; The 

 United States has been informed by the headquarters of the United Nations at New 

 York that by June 20, 1951, more than the required number (21) of the contracting 

 parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade had signed the decisions 

 agreeing to accession of Austria, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of 

 Korea, Peru, the Republic of the Philippines, and Turkey, to the General Agreement. 

 These countries negotiated at Torquay, iSngland, for such accession. Under the 

 Agreement, at least two-thirds of the existing contracting parties must agree in 

 the case of each new country in order to permit its accession. 



The newly acceding countries have until October 21, 1951, to sign the Torquay 

 Protocol and thus become contracting parties to the Agreement, a June 22 Department 

 of State news release points out. 



Under the terms of the Protocol, concessions negotiated betvreen an acceding 

 country and other contracting parties are to be put into force 30 days after that 

 government signs the Protocol. 



***** 



SYRIA WITHDRAWS FROM QATT ; The United States Government has been informed by 

 the United Nations at New York that on June 7, 1951, the Government of Syria noti- 

 fied the Secretary General of the United Nations of its intention to mthdraw from 

 the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, effective August 6, 1951, Under the 

 terms of the Protocol of Provisional Application of the General Agreement, any con- 

 tracting party may withdraw on 60 days written notice to the Secretary General of 

 the United Nations, a June 28 Department of State news release points out. 



Syria and Lebanon, v;hich were joined in a customs union, became contracting 

 parties to the General Tlgreement after the tariff negotiations at Geneva in 1947, 

 The customs union was later dissolved, and Lebanon withdrew from the General Agree- 

 ment, effective February 25, 1951. Since the concessions granted by the United 

 States to the customs union at Geneva were of substantial interest to Syria, and 

 in some cases to other contracting parties, there were no changes in United States 

 customs duties as a result of Lebanon's withdrawal from the agreement. 



The interdepartmental trade-agreements organization is now considering the 

 question of vfithdrawal or retention of United States concessions initially negoti- 

 ated with the Syro-Lebanese customs union, looking to the initiation of consulta- 

 tion with other interested contracting parties. 



After withdrawal from the General Agceeivent , Syria will no longer be obligated 

 to maintain concessions granted to the United States. The fishery items listed in 

 the Syrian tariff which may be affected are on the follovri.ng page» 



