8.
c) Women's knitted synthetic undergarments:
There was some
uncertainty about the figures provided for this item but
Hong Kong were satisfied that by excluding knitwear from the
restraint that Hong Kong did not export in significant quantities,
there would be a fairly reasonable case to concede a restraint
on the remaining itém (pants).
To sum up the Group agreed that some of the restraints
requested, at least, should be conceded, although suitable levels
at which this should be done were not discussed.
The meeting then turned to consideration of the levels at
which the restraints might be conceded.
1) Anoraks: Mr. Jordan said that last year the Swedes had agreed
to accept whatever exports had been covered by export authorisations
at the time they contacted Hong Kong and requested a restraint
agreement. Since export authorisations were issued well in
advance of dispatch, this meant that the restraint in 1968 was
fixed at a high level and the Swedes had warned Hong Kong that it.
*
another year.
would not be possible to continue the restraint at this level for
The Swedes had, in fact, asked for a restraint at
the level reached by men's synthetic anoraks to Sweden by August 1968.
He himself proposed to ask for a roll-back to the level of exports
reached by 15th November 1968. This would give a total of 450,000
pieces against the 378,000 suggested by the Swedes.
Mr. Stewart said this was a major cutback over a wider coverage
(women's discontinuous anoraks had not previously been subject to
control) and he felt that Hong Kong should refuse to concede a
restraint below the present level.
Mr. Jordan said that, for the reasons he had explained he felt
it would not be fair nor possible to expect to continue at the
present figure. He pointed out that production had levelled off
in a rapidly expanding market.
The figure suggested
/by