The sixth GATT round (i.e., the Kennedy Round), 1963-67, differed from the first five rounds in the following manners

The sixth GATT round (i.e., the Kennedy Round), 1963-67, differed from the first five rounds in the following manners:

(i) It was a more ambitious round because it was designed to prevent the emergence of the European Common Market (ECM) from dividing the industrial world into exclusive trade blocks.

(ii) The negotiations covered agriculture and non-tariff barriers in addition to tariffs on manufactures.

(iii) The method of negotiation also changed. Whereas the earlier rounds proceeded on a commodity by-commodity basis, the bargaining in the Kennedy Round was an across-the-board reduction in all tariffs.

(iv) The Kennedy Round also witnessed changes in American policy. American participation in the earlier rounds had been under the authorisation of extension of the reciprocal Trade Agreement Act of 1934.

Now the Congress passed the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which gave the President increased negotiation authority and introduced new feature into American policy; Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

The overall result of the Kennedy Round was substantial because tariffs on manufactures were slashed by one-third; it was the largest reduction in any single round.

But little was achieved with respect to either non-tariff barriers or agriculture. The developing countries were not satisfied because their trade problems were not given proper attention.