Israel is asking the U.S. to raise the ceiling on a variety of goods that Israel exports to that country to help reduce the widening gap in the balance of trade between them. The request was put to President Carter’s special trade envoy, Reubin Askew today by Minister of Commerce and Industry Gideon Pott.
The limitations apply mainly to jewelry. Israel exports $40 million worth of Jewelry to the U.S. annually and Pott observed to reporters after his meeting with Askew that “this is a very small sum considering the price of gold in the last few months.” He said Israel is seeking to have the ceiling on these exports changed so that each category of jewelry would have its own limit. He said the American envoy promised a reply by April I. “I would say, from impressions only, that our request was favorably understood,” Pott said.
Askew will visit Egypt on what was described as an exploratory mission to expand trade between the U.S. and that country. The visit was seen here as an expression of President Carter’s interest in expanding trade between Israel, Egypt and the U.S. as a result of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. However, Pott said today that nothing has been decided yet about possible Israeli-Egyptian-American joint ventures. He said he would be better able to judge the prospects after his visit to Egypt next week.
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