INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS OTHER THAN TREATIES [61 STAT. or by those whose balances of payments are tending to be exceptionally favourable, or by any appropriate inter-governmental organization, to remove the underlying causes of the disequilibrium. On the invitation of the CONTRACTING PARTIES, contracting parties shall participate in such discussions. Article XIII Non-discriminatory Administration of Quantitative Restrictions 1. No prohibition or restriction shall be applied by any contract- ing party on the importation of any product of the territory of any other contracting party or on the exportation of any product destined for the territory of any other contracting party, unless the importation of the like product of all third countries or the exportation of the like product to all third countries is similarly prohibited or restricted. 2. In applying import restrictions to any product, contracting parties shall aim at a distribution of trade in such product approaching as closely as possible to the shares which the various contracting parties might be expected to obtain in the absence of such restrictions, and to this end shall observe the following provisions: (a) wherever practicable, quotas representing the total amount of permitted imports (whether allocated among supply- ing countries or not) shall be fixed, and notice given of their amount in accordance with paragraph 3(b) of this Article; (b) in cases in which quotas are not practicable, the restrictions may be applied by means of import licences or permits without a quota; A40
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