J
HM CUSTOMS AND EXCISE
Customs Directorate
Dorset House Stamford Street London SE1 9PS
Telex 917905
Telephone 01-928 0533 ext
2248
GTN 2523
R Gordon Esq
ECD (E)
FCO
London SW1
Dear Robert
1
Адмійсни
27.
m. Hill, HRD
the spotle. Gratifat for
your wght command
His lette
& attached draft
975
Your reference
Our reference
Date
18 May 1987
10/1
(48
APPLICATION OF THGE HARMONISED SYSTEM CONVENTION TO HONG KONG
1.
2.
3.
I attach a draft of the letter which it is planned our Chairman will send to the Secretary General of the CCC, along the lines we have already agreed. I should be grateful for any comments on the draft.
Before we send the letter, we would like to resolve the query in our own minds over the position in paragraph 3. The UK and the PRC have apparently agreed in the JLG that Hong Kong will apply for full membership of the CCC, with the application to be dealt with at the June CCC sessions. It has presumably been agreed, to our satisfaction at least, that Hong Kong has an appropriate status to allow it to become a CCC member. Is this based on its being a state or something analogous ? The whole position whereby Hong Kong has sufficient status to become a member of the CCC, but insufficient status to become a Contracting Party to the HS Convention, seems to us a little mysterious. know the opinion of the FCO legal advisers on both sides of
Can you let us the question before we go ahead and ask the CCC ?
We
On a separate but related point, the timescale for our ratification of the HS Convention is being discussed in Brussels on Wednesday at a meeting of Customs attaches. shall be arguing strongly for September but we may come under irresistible pressure to agree to late June (at the CCC sessions to be held in Ottawa, June 22-26). If this should prove to be the case, could you confirm that FCO will be able to draw up the Instruments of Ratification in time ? King in her letter of 16 June 1986 indicated that you would Julia
need at least two weeks notice.
Yours sincerely
Stevettoy
S J HAWES