2600027
C.S. 20A (Rev.)
From the Governor, Hong Kong
Copy to Commodities (Moline) then P.A. please.
SAVING DESPATCH Copy already sent to bot.
To the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
No
17.9.Bla
16.
No.
958
No.
Canberra, Washington (for Hermann), M 105 UKMIS Geneva M.106 Brussels (for Jones on return), (for Dodge). M 10M No. 19th August, 1969.
Repeated to:-
Repeated to:-
Date..
My Reference
CR 11/5401/56 III.
Your Reference
C.T.A. Article 3 Consultations with Australia on Cotton Drills. Denims, Dungarees and Jeans
16/6/1
Encl. 1
My telegram No. 527 of 3rd July 1969 refers.
2.
The leaders of the Australian and Hong Kong sides initialled a Memorandum of Understanding on 25th June 1969 on restraint on exports from Hong Kong of cotton drills, other than grey, of not less than 6 oz. by weight per square yard and not more than 15 oz. per square yard. The Memorandum was formally signed by the Senior Australian Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong and the Director of Commerce and Industry on 24th July 1969. A copy of this Memorandum is at Enclosure 1.
3.
The two sides also exchanged letters regarding the immediate liberalisation of the other cotton items previously caught under the Export Authorisation scheme which was implemented in August 1968. Copies of these Encls. 2 & 3 letters are at Enclosures 2 and 3.
16/0/114
4.
The Australian Government representative was Mr. B.G.L. Johns, Assistant Secretary, Department of Trade. The atmosphere in which the consultations were conducted, was cordial, but the consultations themselves were protracted and repetitive and ran to several sessions. Mr. Johns' initial position was for restraint on all cotton drills, denims, dungarees and jeans weighing from 6 oz. to 15 oz. per square yard, but he was subsequently persuaded that on the statistical evidence produced, discussions should be confined to finished cotton drills only. He offered 890,000 square yards as a restraint level for this item (i.e. the minimum 'roll back' figure based on Australian imports) and stuck doggedly to this amount virtually throughout the negotiations.
£
CEIVED IN
· No.51
$59
HKC6/365/1
LAST
RIT
REXT
REF.
/5. Eventually
13
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