When orders are placed in Hong Kong for textiles and
footwear this possibility does not exist, and, indeed, is
replaced by the certainty that the full duty will have
to be paid on all consignments.
2.
6.
The special safeguards which already apply to
textiles under the Community's Scheme are sufficient to
contain any extraordinary movement in textile exports from
Hong Kong or elsewhere. The provisions of the arrangement
regarding international trade in textiles, to which both
the European Economic Community and the United Kingdom on
behalf of Hong Kong are parties, afford further protection
in this regard.
7.
The Hong Kong footwear industry is small scale in
character and under-capitalised. Both production and exports
have dropped sharply in recent years. The Hong Kong footwear
industry has all the characteristics of the kind of industry
which the Generalised Schemes of Preference are generally
designed to assist and its performance certainly does not
justify discrimination against its exports.
8.
The Hong Kong Government feels serious concern about
reports that the Commission is considering further changes
to the scheme that would reduce benefits for the more
competitive among the developing countries.
./While
+
€
i
Page 75Page 76