DRAK
171
Restraints on textile imports into Sweden
Hong Kong/Swedish negotiations - 16th June 1969
NOTE of a meeting held at the Board of Trade, Victoria Street, S.W.1, with representatives of the Hong Kong Government on 12/13 June 1969
Present: Mr. Hughes in the Chair
Mr. Peck (12 June only)
Sir Arthur Snelling (13 June p.m. only), F.c.o.
Mr. Jordan
Mr. Sellers
Mr. Whitehead
Mr. Carter
Mr. H. Stewart
Hong Kong
.F.C.O.
Mr. Carey (13 June p.m. only)
Mr. Jupp
Mr. 3. Stewart
Miss Welch
Mr. Goldsmith (13 June p.m. only)
Mr. Kemmis
Miss Dumble
June 12
-
3 p.m.
Industries 1
C.R.E.1
Mr. Hughes said the question before the meeting was whether Hong Kong could
reach an agreement with the Swedes at the forthcoming talks in Stockholn.
The Swedes had requested:
(1) renewal of two existing restraints on non-cotton items and
(2) new restraints on three further non-cotton items.
Hong Kong felt it would be in their interests to concede these restraints but
Industries 1 considered that certain major points of policy made such concessions
undesirable. He asked Industries 1 to explain what these were.
Mr. Stewart said there were two basic risks involved. First, should these
restraints be conceded then imports of the items concerned would almost certainly
be diverted from Sweden to the U.K. The U.K. textile industry already faced
/considerable