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Exchange of Notes concerning the Supply of Canadian Wheat Flour for Wartime Emergency Stockpiling in Norway [1960] CATSer 1 (25 April 1960)

E101180 - CTS 1960 No. 5

EXCHANGE OF NOTES BETWEEN CANADA AND NORWAY CONCERNING THE SUPPLY OF CANADIAN WHEAT FLOUR FOR WARTIME EMERGENCY STOCKPILING IN NORWAY

I

The Secretary of State for External Affairs to the Ambassador of Norway to Canada

DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

OTTAWA, April 25, 1960

No. 6

His Excellency Frithjof Jacobsen
Ambassador of Norway
Ottawa

Excellency,

I have the honour to refer to the offer made by the Canadian Government to provide wheat flour for emergency stockpiling in Norway and in other NATO countries. The terms of this offer were set out by the Canadian representative at the meeting of the Senior Civil Emergency Planning Com­mittee which was held in Paris on October 15, 1958 and attention is drawn to the statement he made on that occasion.

Negotiations have since taken place between Canadian and Norwegian authorities on the proposal that Canadian wheat flour should be provided to Norway for storage in that country so as to be available for emergency use in the event of general hostilities.

In order to bring into effect the understanding reached in these preliminary negotiations, I now have the honour to propose that this Note and your reply should constitute an Agreement in the following terms, to take effect on the date of your reply:

(1) The Canadian Government shall provide, as soon as practicable after the coming into force of this Agreement, 20,000 tons of wheat flour milled from No. 3 Manitoba Northern wheat or better having the following specifications:

Maximum moisture	13 %
Maximum ash	0.50%
Entelated
Vitamin-enriched
Packed in 100-pound lots in sealed multi-walled paper sacks with polyethylene moisture barriers.

Not less than two-thirds of this wheat shall be delivered to Eastern Canadian ports, and the remainder to Western Canadian ports, to be specified by the Canadian Government which shall bear all costs up to the points of delivery.

(2) The Norwegian Government undertakes to inspect and assume title to the wheat flour at the specified Canadian port(s) and thereafter to be responsible for the handling, transportation, storage and main­tenance of this wheat flour, as well as for its ultimate disposal, in accordance with the provisions of sub-paragraph (3) below. All costs incurred from the time title to the flour is assumed by the Norwegian Government shall be borne by the Norwegian Government.

(3) The stockpile, which would be composed initially of the Canadian wheat flour provided under the terms of this Agreement shall be maintained by the Government of Norway at a level of 20,000 tons, subject to the provisions of sub-paragraphs (4) and (5) below. It shall be reserved for wartime emergency purposes only and as its replacement becomes necessary it shall be disposed of in a manner that will interfere as little as possible with normal commercial transactions in wheat flour or grain. In order to accomplish this the Norwegian Government undertakes to store the flour until it is no longer fit for human consumption. At that time the Norwegian Government could either cause it to be destroyed or make it available for use in feeding live-stock. In the latter case the proceeds from any eventual sale of the deteriorated flour are to be used for the purchase from any commercial source, including any Norwegian source, of additional wheat flour or grain to replenish the stockpile. The Norwegian Government would however endeavour to replenish the stockpile by fresh wheat flour rather than by grain in so far as this may be practicable.

(4) The Norwegian Government’s obligation in (3) above to maintain the stockpile at an agreed level would come to an end upon an outbreak of general hostilities in Europe involving Norway or in accordance with the national policy of the Norwegian Government in regard to the dispersion and distribution of stockpiled foodstuffs in the event that the Norwegian Government wishes to implement measures to meet an emergency relating to possible hostilities.

(5) If circumstances should so alter that the Norwegian Government considers it no longer necessary to maintain the stockpile (referred to in sub-paragraph (3) above) for emergency use in wartime, the Canadian and Norwegian Governments will consult together with a view to terminating this Agreement and disposing of the stockpile.

Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration.

H. C. Green

II

The Ambassador of Norway to Canada to the Secretary of State for External Affairs

ROYAL NORWEGIAN EMBASSY

OTTAWA, April 25, 1960

X-5/60

The Honourable Howard C. Green,
Secretary of State for External Affairs,
Ottawa

Sir,

I have the honour to refer to your Note of today’s date (No. 6) concerning the supply of Canadian wheat flour for emergency stockpiling in Norway.

Upon instructions from my Government, I have the honour to confirm the terms of agreement set out in your Note, and that your Note and this reply shall constitute an Agreement between our two Governments.

Accept, Sir, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration.

Frithjof Jacobsen