Continuation Sheet No.
(CONTINUE TYPING HERE)
File No.
CONFIDENTIAL
INDUSTRIAL SECTOR
"Sensitive" Products and supercompetitive countries
7. We welcome the proposal to reduce the items
on the sensitive list from 51 to around 16 products
This will make the scheme more accessible for most
developing countries (though we doubt how much use
some countries will be able to make of their increased
opportunities in the short-term). But we are
unhappy about the proposal that there should be
special "butoirs" for the so-called supercompetitive
countries. This will affect Hong Kong in particular
and will reduce her relative trade opportunities.
However, we can reluctantly agree but will look
for a substantial improvement for Hong Kong
elsewhere.
HONG KONG
8. The Secretary of State may wish to make a
special statement on Hong Kong See Annex A7
FOOTWEAR FROM HONG KONG
9. (Also covered in the statement on Hong Kong.)
If there is résistance to including Hong Kong's
footwear in the scheme because of domestic footwear
problems7 We realise that the European footwear
industry is facing difficulties but so too is the
Hong Kong footwear industry. The proposals envisaged
are very modest. Domestic problems within Europe
stem essentially from imports from non-developing
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