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FURTHER TALKS ON U.K. TEXTILE TARIFF
To Be Held In London Next Month
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The British Government will give further consideration to ways
and means of alleviating the new situation in which the Hong Kong textile
industry now finds itself.
The Financial Secretary, the Hon. C.P. Haddon-Cave, stated this
today in the Legislative Council.
"Further talks are to be held in London in the week beginning
January 10, 1972," he added.
He was replying to the Hon. T.K. Ann who had asked whether Government
would ask the U.K. Government for a temporary tariff relief for the period
prior to her entry into the European Economic Community.
Mr. Haddon-cave said that during his talks in London on December 6
and 7 with Ministers and officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
and the Department of Trade and Industry, he had formally requested on
behalf of the Hong Kong Government that the new tariff on imports of cotton
yarn and woven cotton textiles from Commonwealth countries should only be
imposed by stages.
He suggested that that could best be done in accordance with the timetable agreed with the European Economic Community for the gradual imposition of
tariffs on industrial products from the Commonwealth during the transitional
period after Britain's entry.
The British Government informed him that it was impossible to
introduce the new tariff by stages or defer it because the Order to impose
it had already been made and laid before Parliament and that there would be
insuperable difficulties of a political, legislative and practical nature
in now modifying or rescinding this order, he said.
/Mr. Haddon-cave