224
Reference.......
226
Mr Chewley
GENERALISED PREFERENCE SCHEME AND COTTON TEXTILES
251.
The developments foreseen by Mr Denman in his telegrams from Brussels Codel 813 and 814 (copies attached) have considerable implications for Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government have of course always been against our policy of switching from quotas to the tariff and they have feared that their exporters to our market would have to face not only a tariff but also quotas when we join the Common Market. It looks as if their fears are going to be justified.
2.
When Mr Cater and the others were here last February for talks on textiles policy much was made of bringing Hong Kong into the discussions about the "technical adaptations" to which Mr Denman has referred in paragraph 3(B) of his telegram Codel 813. We shall obviously have to do what we can to protect Hong Kong's interests. As a start I think it would be useful if we could see what Commodities Department think about the matter. Would you please seek their views.
3. For the time being we had better not say anything about these two telegrams to the Hong Kong Government Office.
En
E O Laird
7 October 1971
bur Lambert
70ct 71.
Please
her Magh (Commuters)
Your comments
noti
in particular
§ 3 cham
wowh
awat pfacciated.
Mr. Clasby,
JA. Windy
7 Gatitur 71
You will see
from
an
brigh of
Flag A. mc1/548/14.
20 November 1970 (faragraph 16) that we
concluded that it would be wrong
to suggest
I that
DD 737719 $57664 500M 2/71 GM 3643/2