C. & I. 200 € 2700206
5,000-7/66-B55340
BY AIRMAIL
RESTRICTED
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS:~~
*ANDIHONG” HONG KONG
OUR
YOUR REF.:
REF.:
CR EIC 212/1/1II
1. Styment
Dear Bob,
30
COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT,
FIRE BRIGADE BUILDING,
HONG KONG.
16 January
R&R
. 1969.
29
You will recall that I mentioned to you before I went to Stockholm that I thought it would be helpful if the Embassy there could gather some general information about the textile/garment business in Sweden and about the sector of the market in which Hong Kong goods appeared. I made the enclosed rough notes in the aeroplane and left copies with John Longbotham (First Secretary, Economic, standing in for Kenneth Mackenzie, the Commercial Counsellor, who was on leave). I discussed the subject with him and said you had agreed that any information on these lines would be useful. It may of course be difficult to get (e.g., I understand that there are few public companies in Sweden) but I said it was really question of scratching around to see what information could be found.
2.
4
a
You will have seen the Stockholm telegram (No. 9) which I drafted after John Longbotham and I met Baron de Geer and others or 8 January (the telegram dated 9 January says 'this morning' I drafted it on 8 January). You may be interested to know that it all went much more smoothly than we had expected. There was no attempt at wriggling or twisting. For example, I think we mentioned to you that Faltheim had hinted to David Sellers that they might take the line that the institution of E.A.s implied acceptance that there was a potential 'serious injury to domestic industry' case and that consequently a subsequent sharp increase in exports was enough to establish the case.
This was not suggested at all and when I said to de Geer that my 'preliminary comments' were that the figures he had provided didn't seem to make a case, de Geer readily undertook to provide more. They have already reached us via the Consul General and I will send copies to Sellers for re-copying and distribution in London.
3.
There was no need for me to press the Swedes (as we had expected) to provide figures. de Geer opened by saying that they had prepared the tables, copies of which I left with Sellers to distribute to BOT and FCO.
! RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No.31
23 JAN 1969
HKK6/501/1
/4. To change