CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY BRUSSELS
TELEGRAM NUMBER 46
CONFIDENTIAL
[NEUTRAL]
FROM DODGE.
CONFIDENTIAL...
To HONG KONG
6 NOVEMBER 1970
061155Z
HONG KONG/EEC COTTON TEXTILES
125
TOP COPY
(30)
THE COMMISSION ARE TAKING VERY MUCH LONGER THAN EXPECTED
OVER THE PREPARATION OF THEIR DOCUMENTS FOR INITIALLING DESPITE
LENGTHY, DAILY MEETINGS BETWEEN US. I ANTICIPATE THAT THE INITIALL-
ING FORMALITY WILL NOW TAKE PLACE EARLY NEXT. WEEK.
2. I AM ASSUMING THAT YOU HAVE NO LAST-MINUTE INSTRUCTIONS, PARTICULARLY ON THE CONVERSION FACTORS, HAVE THEREFORE
I
PROCEEDED AS INDICATED IN DDCR'S BRUSSELS MEMORANDUM NG. 199,
1E. ON THE GATT/US (GERMAH) (NEXT GROUP UNDERLINED) NOT THE
BENELUX LINES.
3. THE DEADLINE FOR ANY FINAL CABLED INSTRUCTIONS TO ME IS
NOW EARLY MONDAY MORNING BRUSSELS TIME, CHANGES WOULD OBVIOUSLY
FURTHER DELAY THE INITIALLING BUT I THINK THE COMMISSION WOULD
BE AMENABLE.
4.
THE CONVERSION FACTORS TABLE IS TO BE ANNEXED TO A COMMUNITY
SIDE-LETTER AND I HAVE THEREFORE HAD TO PREPARE FOR THEM A NEW FRAMEWORK OMITTING ALL REFERENCES TO LIMITS/LEVELS AND HONG KONG
STATISTICAL CLASSIFICATIONS WHICH FEATURED IN THE ORIGINAL ENCLOSURE
TO DORWARD'S LETTER OF 12 SEPTEMBER TO ERNST. THE RESULTING SKELTON
TABLE STILL CONTAINS ALL REPEAT ALL THE CONVERSION FACTORS IN THAT
ENCLOSURE BUT THESE ARE NOW SET OUT IN A DRASTICALLY REDUCED
FORMAT. A SIMPLE EXAMPLE READS D 2 BED LINEN BEDSHEETS 74.4 SQ. YDS/DOZEN: PILLOWCASES 13.31 DITTO, ALL OF COURSE UNDER THE 9950 SQUARE YARDS PER METRIC TON RUBRIC. I AM AIRMAILING YOU A 9830
COPY OF MY LATEST DRAFT OF THIS RECAST TABLE.
(
FCO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG.
RECHVID IN REGISTRY No. 51
SIR J. BEITH
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION
HONG KONG DEPT
COMMODITIES DEPT
E.I.Do
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ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL TRADE
CONFIDENTIAL