French Stol Makers Seek Lower Output

From 'Financial Times'. 1 498 The French steol industry, which has just asked the planning authorities to reduce its 1965 target from 25 million tons to 23 million tons, hes now demanded the right to import cheap American coal so as to reduce its costs. Although the steel mekers are prepared to guarantee the Coal Board that they will sign long-term agreemants to maintain French coke purchases at present levels, they are in .effect demanding a gradual end to protection for the Gurepean coal industry. This can only be an addition to the French Goverrmont's ourrent difficulties in dealing with the miners! strike, The industry wants to bogin by lowering the duty on the small quotas of coal from the United States now permitted to two minor coastal steel works and importing 230,000 more tons from the U.S. at this price for the Lorraine steel firms so that German,Dutch, and Belgian coko suppliers would have to lower their prices to natch, It also wants to end a special 5 per cent inerease on coke granted to the French coal Board over the last two years. At a later stage the steel manufacturers want freedom to import U.S. coal at world market prices for use in Lorraine. Finally — and this is politically the most explosive request - thoy want French coke to be reduced to the same world prica level. =