U.S. MAKES CONCILIATORY MOVE AT RUBBER PACT TALKS

  The U.S. Has dropped its insistence that
  the floor price in a new International Natural Rubber
  Agreement, INRA, be revised downward under certain
  circumstances, conference sources said.
      The surprise conciliatory move by the U.S. Meets one of the
  producers' main concerns -- that the floor price, or "lower
  indicative price," remain unchanged, they said.
      It is not clear, however, whether all consuming countries
  will follow suit, as a number of them, in particular Britain,
  West Germany and Belgium, appeared to have strong reservations,
  the sources added.
      The group of consumers has been seeking an adjustment of
  the "lower indicative price" (set at 150 Malaysian/Singapore
  cents a kilo in the present pact) if the buffer stock,
  currently 360,000 tonnes, rises to 450,000 tonnes.
      The sources said the question of to what extent price
  adjustments should be automatic remains a problem.
      Conference chairman Manaspas Xuto of Thailand has been
  holding consultations with producers and consumers throughout
  the day.
      The consumers' group is now holding a separate meeting
  ahead of further consultations within the "president's group"
  tonight.
  

