PRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
بهم
مقامیه مان
lile
HISTOD
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FM HONG KONG 240250Z
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CONFIDENTIAL
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TO PRIORITY F C O TELNO 428 OF 24TH APRIL, 1973. INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE) AND ROUTINE INFO
HVONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
UKREP BRUSSELS TELEGRAM 2093 TO YOU,
E E C TEXTILES GROUP.
ONE DEDUCTION WHICH WE THINK CAN BE DRAWN FROM THE DUTCH REACTION AT THE MEETING ON 16 APRIL IS THAT A SIMPLE EXTENSION TO THE BENELUX OF OUR GERMAN UNILATERAL RESTRAINT WOULD NOT BE VERY WELCOME TO THEM. THEY SEEM TO HAVE THEIR OWN IDEAS OF COVERAGE, BASED PRESUMABLY ON THEIR ASSESSMENT OF WHERE THE SHOE IS PINCHING
IN THEIR MARKET AND THEY WOULD APPEAR NOW TO HAVE COME ROUND TO YOUR VIEWS ON A SELECTIVE, REGIONAL APPROACH.
2. IT SEEMS AT FIRST SIGHT PARADOXICAL THAT IT WAS A DUTCH RESERVATION WHICH PREVENTED A REPORT GOING FORWARD TO COREPER FOR IT WOULD APPEAR THAT, IF THERE IS A CURRENT PROBLEM IN ANY MEMBER STATE, IT IS IN HOLLAND. BUT THE EXPLANATION FOR THIS IS PROB- ABLY THAT THE DUTCH NOW SEE LITTLE CHANCE OF A COMMUNITY SOLUTION EMERGING THAT ADEQUATELY TAKES CARE OF THEIR REGIONAL PROBLEM AND THAT THEY WISH TO KEEP THEIR POWDER DRY TO ASK FOR A MANDATE TO NEGOTIATE WITH US ON A REGIONAL BASIS..
3. WE AGREE THAT ALL THIS ALSO TENDS TO STRENGTHEN THE GENERAL ARGUMENT IN FAVOUR OF A UNILATERAL RESTRAINT TOWARDS THE BENELUX AND WE HAVE STILL NOT RULED OUT THIS SOLUTION. THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, IS THAT ANY SUCH RESTRAINT, IF IT IS TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ACHIEVING ITS PURPOSE, WILL HAVE TO BE TAILOR-MADE TO FIT BENELUX CIRCUMSTANCES. IN OTHER WORDS CERTAIN OF THE GERMAN ITEMS WOULD NOT BE APPLICABLE IN THE BENELUX CASE WHILE OTHER ITEMS NOT RESTRAINED TO GERMANY (OR THE U.K. FOR THAT MATTER) WOULD NEED TO BE RESTRAINED TO BENELUX, WE MIGHT FOR INSTANCE IN THEIR CASE NEED TO GO OUTSIDE
CONFIDENTIAL
/THE