Message to the Senate Asking Its Advice and Consent to U.S. Accession to Convention Establishing the Customs Cooperation Council

To the Senate of the United States:

Today I ask the Senate to give its advice and consent to accession by the United States to the Convention Establishing a Customs Cooperation Council.

The Council is the major international organization for improving and simplifying customs procedures. It started out as largely a European organization. Now 53 countries are members. Almost all our major trading partners participate in its work.

The objectives of the Convention are to assist international trade by working for:

--uniformity and simplicity in the customs systems of its members;

--solutions to customs administration problems;

--cooperation among governments in these matters.

The Council's recommendations are not binding but they are widely accepted by most of our major trading partners. They have an increasing importance for United States trade.

The United States sends observers to meetings of the Council and its Committees. I believe that accession to the Convention would be of clear advantage to the United States. We would have increased opportunities to participate in the Council's recommendations and to benefit from its work.

As the world's largest trading nation, we would be better able to do our part in helping to improve customs procedures so as to expand international trade.

I recommend that the Senate give favorable consideration to United States accession to this Convention.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

The White House

May 20, 1968