We cause
cousfifitional
المال من
alis
CALL ON MR BUTLER BY MR JORDAN, HONG KONG DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE: THURSDAY, 4 APRIL AT 1600 HOURS
and
1. Mr Jordan is visiting London between
April. The main reason for his visit is to discuss
the Community's Generalised Scheme of Freferences (GSF)
and in particular the possibility of circulating a
memorandum (copy of draft attached) within the Community
on this subject. Mr Jordan will be having detailed
discussions with officials from the Department of Trade
and the Department of Industry.
BACKGROUND
2.
In February 1971 we agreed with the Six, during
the enlargement negotiations, that Hong Kong should be
admitted to the Community's GSP, subject to the
exclusion of her textile and footwear exports. As some
of Hong Kong's principal competitors among the develop-
ing countries receive benefits in these categories, we
have, since 1 January 1974, on aligning to the
Community's GSP, been discriminating against Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is concerned about this, both for its own
sake and for the precedent it sets for other importing
countries (i.e. the United States and Japan) in their
Generalised Preference Schemes.
A.
3. When our chief negotiator, Mr Rippon, accepted
this arrangement in 1971 he told the Community that it
would be our continuing concern to. avoid discriminating
against Hong Kong in favour of her principal competi-
The Hong Kong
tors among the developing countries.
authorities reminded us of this undertaking last year
re-
and put pressure upon us to open the matter with the
Community. Ministers concluded however that it would
be better to wait until the 1974 GSP review before
(17865) Dd.145178 400m 5/73 G.W.B.Led. Gp.863
/doing