NORWAY WILLING TO CONSIDER EXPORT LICENSING

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000391 SIPDIS FOR EEB/TPP/MTAA ANU PRATTIPATI, USTR (EBRZYTWA, JKEMP, CSMOTHERS) AND COMMERCE (DPAREKH) E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2019 TAGS: ECON EFIN ETRD SUBJECT: NORWAY WILLING TO CONSIDER EXPORT LICENSING TRANSPARENCY PROPOSAL REF: STATE 53805 Classified By: Political Counselor Kristen Bauer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Poloff spoke with Kristine Hansen, senior advisor in the MFA WTO section on June 10. Hansen said that Norway was well aware of the proposal, and does not have a problem with its content, but must engage in a consultative process with ministries and industry, and is not fully aware of the justification of the proposal. In this respect, she said, our demarche and the information we provided was very welcome. As a general matter, Norway, appreciates our attempt to move forward on NTBs and will have to evaluate how this proposal fits into a liberalized trade regime. ¶2. (C) Comment: Hansen said at one point, "we don't entirely understand the added benefit" of this proposal. Such a comment indicates that she at least--the person within the Oslo MFA most responsible for this issue--simply is unfamiliar with the subject. Hansen explicitly recommended that this issue be dealt with directly between our representatives in Geneva, Lorrie Molnar (USA) and Camilla Blom (Norway). Hansen said, "We have left NTBs more on the shelf than the US has." Post's evaluation is that obtaining Norway's support and co-sponsorship will best be achieved working through Geneva rather than Oslo. WHITNEY