INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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blouses and trousers, and their respective restraint limits of 75,000, 40,000 and 55,000 dozens, were unchanged from the previous under- taking to which, however, a new flexibility provision was added.
In June, consultations were held in Hong Kong with representa- tives of the Benelux Governments on Hong Kong's exports of cotton textiles to the Benelux countries. These negotiations resulted in the conclusion of a comprehensive bilateral agreement whereby Hong Kong agreed to restrict exports of all cotton textiles, except yarns, to a limit of 3,153 metric tons for the period July 1, 1968 to December 31, 1969. During the three months from July 1 until the expiry on September 30, 1968 of the 1967 Undertaking to the Benelux Governments, covering restraint on exports of six categories of cotton woven textile products, the balances available for shipment under the earlier undertaking were not affected by the new com- prehensive agreement.
In March, the Norwegian authorities requested the Hong Kong Government to restrain exports of all garments of all fibres to Norway. After a series of consultations, an agreement was reached in September under which Hong Kong would limit exports of five categories of cotton garments to 143,000 dozens per annum during a two-year period commencing October 1, 1968. The new agreement susperseded the understanding of May 1967 regarding Hong Kong's exports of cotton woven nightwear to Norway and includes both growth and swing provisions. At the same time, Hong Kong also undertook unilaterally to limit exports to Norway of women's woollen and acrylic knitwear and woven blouses of certain man- made fibres to 68,000 dozens and 31,000 dozens respectively for a period of twelve months commencing October 1.
In April, the Swedish Government requested consultations with a view to the limitation of Hong Kong's exports of all types of wearing apparel. An agreement was finally concluded in July whereby Hong Kong undertook to limit exports of five categories of cotton garments to 5.37 million pieces during the period June 1, 1968 to May 30, 1969. In the course of the same consultations, Hong Kong also undertook unilaterally to restrict exports to Sweden of women's woollen and synthetic knitwear and men's anoraks and similar jackets of synthetic fibres to 1.67 million pieces and 180,000 pieces respectively for one year from July 1, 1968.