CONFIDENTIAL
RECORD OF A MEETING WITH MR D H JORDAN, DIRECTOR OF THE COMMERCE AND 'INDUSTRY DEPARIMENT, HONG KONG, HELD AT 10.30 AM ON 22 OCTOBER 1974 IN ROOM LGO5
DOT 1 VICTORIA STREET
Present:
Mr P S Preston
CRE
Tariffs CRE 2
Mr G R Denman
Mr G Barry
Mr C W Roberts
Miss C H Welch
Mr J Ingram
Mr J Cooke
CRE 1
Miss K Tait Mr Benzimra Miss L Lowne
Mr B Lodge
CT DOI
Mr Leggett
Mr A Stuart
Mr K Hanna
Mr R Braithwaite )EID FCO
Mr R Hart
HKIOD FCO
173
Mr D H Jordan HK Dept of Commerce
Mr L Mills
Mr W Dorward Mr G Pearson Mr C Burgess Mr W Dodge Mr S T Kidd
Mr J Ng
HK
HK Office at Geneva )HK Office at
Brussels
HK Commissioner in London
HK Government Office London
1
Mr J N Cohen
{CRE
CRE 2
Mr DJ Burbridge)
Mr Preston suggested that, subject to Mr Jordan's agreement, the meeting should discuss the multilateral GATT negotiations, the Community GSP scheme in relation to Hong Kong, and the bilateral negotiations on textiles between the Community and Hong Kong. Mr Jordan agreed to this agenda.
MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS
'2
Mr Denman reported briefly on the latest situation in the Geneva talks, and gave his assessment of the prospects. Much inevitably depended on the progress of the US Trade Bill through Congress. Senator Jackson felt that the Bill would get through just before Congress broke up on December 5. But there might still be complications: for instance if Mr Wilbur Mills failed to secure re-election, or if pressure from the trade unions increased, the Bill might not be passed in time or without significant alterations. The Community, for its part, hoped to get a mandate for negotiations agreed by early December. The Council would have to act carefully, especially if the Trade Bill had not been finalised, to avoid reper- cussions in the US. Once the US and the Community had cleared the decks for action, negotiations could press on through 1975. He did not, however, think final agreement was possible before early 1976. Mr Jordan commented that Mr Long nad given him a private estimate for a completion date of July 1976. Mr Denman said he thought even this was optimistic: if agreement had not been reached very early in 1976 it would have to wait till after the Presidential Election in November.
3 The likely content of the final package was discussed. Mr Denman thought there could be no agreement without a significant tariff component. Mr Jordan suggested that from Hong Kong's point of view the level of tariffs was now less important than non-tariff barriers. He had some fears that with a lowering of tariffs there would be increasing resort to other forms of control which might have a more serious effect on Hong Kong's trade. It was important that there should be effective international supervision to ensure that GATT principles were adhered to. The Textile Surveillance Body was an important precedent in this direction and a good deal would depend on its effective working.
CONFIDENTIAL
1