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Appen. 3
that you have no instructions for consultations on non-cotton
textiles.
Desired Improvements to C.T.A.
6.
Hong Kong's views on improvements that should be
made in respect of the C.T.A. were put to the C.T.C. at the
plenary session on 17th December and circulated in COT/W/122
(Appendix 3). You should seek to obtain firm commitments from
the U.S. authorities on the extent to which they are prepared
to accept the proposals in this paper. You should also seek
to have an agreed record of the conclusions reached in these
consultations. Although in theory your task is merely to refer
to the C.T.C. documents and listen to what the Americans have to
offer, you may well have to press them for precise clarification.
7.
In this connection you should bear in mind that, if
and when we come to the full-scale re-negotiation of the current
bilateral agreement, we shall wish to re-examine the factual basis
for comprehensive restraint and for the existing specific limits
(including the limits at present imposed on gloves, workshirts and
continue culottes, if the Americans wish exports of these items to .
to be subject to specific restraint). Since the Americans have by
acceding to the C.T.C. document referred to in paragraph 1, said
that they will endeavour to offer more flexible conditions,
should in any case expect the number of specific limits to be
reduced by the merging of some existing limits or dropping more
categories into the baskets. We should also expect sub-limits on
combed categories and the limit on corduroy apparel to be removed
unless a sound case can still be made for their retention.
as concentration provisions (Rice/Holmes Side Letter) are conc; rned,
we should like:
we
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