CYPHER/CAT A
RESTRICTED
ROUTINE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 483
Fachle lovnal File
108
ΤΟ
HONG KONG
28 JULY 1969 (COMMODITIES)
RESTRICTED.
MIFT CONTAINS TEXT OF TELEGRAM SENT TO PRESIDENT OF BOARD OF TRADE BY TEXTILE TRADE ASSOCIATIONS IN HONG KONG. IF YOU SEE NO OBJECTION WOULD YOU PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING REPLY TO THE PERSONS CONCERNED.
2. QUOTE.
PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE CONFIRMS THAT ON 21 JULY HE RECEIVED YOUR MESSAGE OF 19 JULY ASKING HIM NOT TO IMPLEMENT TEXTILE COUNCIL'S RECOMMENDATION FOR A TARIFF ON IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG AND OTHER COMMON WEALTH COUNTRIES.
PRESIDENT WISHES TO ASSURE YOU THAT DECISION WHICH HE ANNOUNCED IN PARLIAMENT ON 22 JULY WAS REACHED ONLY AFTER LONG AND CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AND BEARING IN MIND THE SPECIAL INTEREST OF HONG KONG AND OTHER COUNTRIES EXPORTING COTTON TEXTILES TO BRITAIN WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THE DECISION.
THE PRESIDENT DRAWS ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THE TARIFF WILL NOT TAKE EFFECT UNTIL 1 JANUARY 1972. AS HE INDICATED IN HIS STATEMENT, ON THE BEST ESTIMATES WHICH COULD BE MADE AT PRESENT THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THE TRADE OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AS A GROUP WILL BE ABOUT THE SAME OR ONLY MARGINALLY LESS THAN IF THE QUOTA SYSTEM HAD BEEN RETAINED THOUGH THERE MAY OF COURSE BE SOME CHANGES IN INDIVIDUAL PATTERNS.
THE REMOVAL OF THE RESTRICTIONS WILL ALSO ALLOW THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO TRADE UP.
UN QUOTE.
RECEIVED IN
| REGISTRY No.51
30 JUL 1969
1114K6/548/8
RESTRICTED
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