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WE AGREE WITH MR TIEN THAT ANY FURTHER WEAKENING OF THE MFA IN THESE AND OTHER WAYS WOULD CREAT SITUATIONS WHERE DEVELOPING
EXPORTING COUNTRIES MIGHT BE PLACED IN AN EVEN WEAKER
NEGOTIATING POSITION FOR THE FUTURE.
MR TIEN HAS ALSO ASKED FOR A COVERNMENT STATEMENT ON THE
POYVOPKDVSFWFDING THE FUTURE OF THE MFA AND AN ASSESSMENT OF
LIKELY PROGRESS IN THE DISCUSSIONS IN GENEVA.
THE ARRANGEMENT EXPIRES ON 31 DECEMBER THIS YEAR. IT PROVIDES THAT THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE, WHICH CONSISTS OF ALL THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES SHOULD MEET NOT LATER THAN ONE YEAR
BEFORE THAT TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE ARRANGEMENT SHOULD BE
EXTENDED, MODIFIED OR DISCONTINUED.
THE COMMITTEE ACCORDINGLY MET IN GENEVA AT THE END OF NOVEMBER
LAST YEAR TO CONSIDER THIS. ALTHOUGH A NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES EXPRESSED DISSATISFACTION WITH THE ARRANGEMENT - OR RATHER, FOR THE MOST PART, WITH THE WAY IT HAD BEEN APPLIED IN PRACTICE THE MAJORITY INCLUDING HONG KONG WERE
PREPARED TO EXTEND IT WITHOUT MODIFICATIONS.
THE EEC HOWEVER HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT WHILE IT IS PREPARED
TO EXTEND THE ARRANGEMENT, IT WISHES TO SEEK MODIFICATIONS TO
IT. AMONG THESE ARE MODIFICATIONS ON THE LINES I HAVE ALREADY
DESCRIBED.
HOWEVER, THE MEMBERS OF THE EEC HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO AGREE AMONGTS THEMSELVES ON PRECISELY WHAT MODIFICATIONS THEY
WOULD WISH TO PROPOSE. CONSEQUENTLY WE ARE NO FURTHER FORWARD NOW THAN WE WERE IN DECEMBER, WHEN THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE MEETING
THAT I ATTENDED ADJOURNED. NO DATE HAS YET BEEN SET FOR THE
NEXT MEETING.
UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR OUR EXPORT BUSINESS IN TEXTILES AND CLOTHING IN 1978 AND SUBSEQUENT
YEARS WILL THEREFORE CONTINUE TO BE WITH US FOR SOME TIME TO COME, BUT I AM SURE AS ONE CAN BE THAT THERE WILL BE A
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/FRAMEWORK.