EXTRACT.
13
Reference...
RESTRICTED.
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.51
To Director of Commerce and Industry, Hong Kong.
From Counsellor (Hong Kong Affairs), Geneva.
Memorandan No. 77.
-A JUN 1969
File No. GV/LV/34
Date 13 May 1969
MKX6/04/
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Annex 1
Non-tariff Barriers
Discussion on Hong Kong Notifications
in Sections V, and VI
IV.A Quantitative Restrictions
IRELAND
3. The Irish discriminatory import restrictions on textiles were notified by Japan and Hong Kong. The Irish, in a general reply to all the notifications, said that they had henoured their obligation to abolish QRs on imports apart from a small number of sensitive products. Their obligacions in this regard under the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement had been carried out on a global basis. As regards textiles they claimed that the global quotas on textile fabrics (presumably of the more expensive variety) had been removed. But the quotas on yarns, piece goods and made-up goods of textiles remained. In the case of piece goods they quoted the following figures: -
/12 million sq.yds.
RESTRICTED
12 million sq. yds.
quota
50
16
11
total market
"
total imports
The Japanese said very little other than that they maintained their notification. I said that the Hong Kong notification was clear. These quotas were only applied to certain countries, including Hong Kong, and the method of administration of at least one of them created uncertainty and was therefore additionally damaging to trade. In the case of cotton textiles I suggested that the Irish consider adhering to the CTA and utilising its provisions and I added that we would always be ready to talk to them about their difficulties within that framework. The Irish replied that they were studying the terms of the CTA and might adhere to it in due
course.