Message to the Congress Transmitting First Report on Inclusion of Escape Clauses in Trade Agreements.

[Released January 14, 1952. Dated January 10, 1952]

To the Congress of the United States:

Pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b) of Section 6 of the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1951 (Public Law 50, 82nd Congress), I hereby submit to the Congress a report on trade agreement escape clauses.

A review of the existing trade agreements in the light of the policy expressed in subsection (a) of Section 6 and its legislative history shows that all except six are in conformity with this policy. One of these six agreements is in the process of being terminated and another is under renegotiation which is .likely to include the addition of escape clause provisions. Subcommittees of the Interdepartmental Committee on Trade Agreements have been directed to recommend to that Committee at an early date proposals with regard to the remaining four of these agreements.

There is attached a detailed report on this subject prepared for me by the Trade Agreements Committee. Since this is the first report to the Congress under Section 6, the attached report contains an explanation of the development of the use of escape clauses and the extent to which they have been made applicable to an increasingly large number of concessions.

HARRY S. TRUMAN