4. YOUR GOVERNMENT WILL NO DOUBT BE FURTHER
AWARE THAT ON 14 JUNE THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG
PRESENTED A FORMAL MEMORANDUM TO THE EEC COMMISSION
IN BRUSSELS RELATING TO PROPOSALS BY THE COMMISSION
TO THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS IN RESPECT OF THE 1975
SCHEME OF PREFERENCES FOR THE EEC AND TO THE PRESENT
GENERAL TRADING POSITION OF HONG KONG IN THIS SECTOR,
WHICH CONTAINS SEVERAL ELEMENTS THAT ARE CAUSING MY
GOVERNMENT DISTRESS.
AVAILABLE, IF DESIRED).
(I HAVE COPIES OF THAT MEMORANDUM
3.
5. IN MY MENTION OF DISTRESS I REFER TO THE
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE BRITISH COLONY OF HONG KONG
IN THE CURRENT EEC GENERALISED SCHEME OF PREFERENCES IN
BOTH THE TEXTILES AND FOOTWEAR SECTORS, RESULTING IN THE
CURRENT EXCLUSION FROM TARIFF BENEFITS OF TWO-THIRDS OF
OUR DOMESTIC EXPORTS.
THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG IS
HOWEVER PARTICULARLY GLAD THAT IN THE NEW PROPOSALS PUT
FORWARD BY THE EEC COMMISSION IN RECENT WEEKS, THE LATTER
CAN NOW BE SEEN TO HAVE COME TO THE VIEW THAT THE
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG SHOULD BE REMOVED WITH
EFFECT FROM 1 JANUARY 1975 AT LEAST IN RESPECT OF FOOTWEAR.
THE QUESTION OF SIMILAR ACTION ON TEXTILES HAS NOT WE
/UNDERSTAND
བབས་ མ་
Page 150Page 151