MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1975.
EEC TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS TO BEGIN ON MARCH 17
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NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AIMED AT DRAWING UP A NEW TEXTILE RESTRAINT AGREEMENT ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON MARCH 17 IN BRUSSELS.
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY (FEBRUARY 24) MR. DAVID JORDAN, DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, SAID THAT THE HONG KONG DELEGATION, LED BY MR. LAWRENCE HILLS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, WOULD BE LEAVING FOR BRUSSELS IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS TIME. IT WOULD BE JOINED BY HONG KONG'S MINISTER AND COUNSELLOR IN THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN BRUSSELS, MR. CLAUDE DURGESS AND MR. PAT DODGE.'
MR. JORDAN EXPLAINED THAT SEVERAL DELAYS IN STARTING THE NEGOTIATIONS HAD CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTIES FOR TRADERS AND MANUFACTURERS IN HONG KONG AND FOR IMPORTERS IN EUROPE AND IT HAD BEEN NECESSARY FOR HIS DEPARTMENT TO INTRODUCE VARIOUS INTERIM RESTRAINT MEASURES PENDING THE HOLDING OF NEGOTIATIONS.
+THE CURRENT MEASURES ARE DUE TO EXPIRE ON MARCH 31. 1975 AND I AM AFRAID THAT IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO EXTEND THESE FOR A FURTHER PERIOD UNTIL WE HAVE A NEW DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE EEC,✨ MR. JORDAN SAID.
THE CURRENT RESTRAINT ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE EXTENDED TO THE END OF THE YEAR OR UNTIL THEY ARE. REPLACED BY ARRANGEMENTS TO BE AGREED WITH THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY UNDER THE ARRANGEMENT REGARDING INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN TEXTILES.
THE EXTENSION IS NECESSARY TO ENABLE THE TRADE TO CONTINUE, ON A KNOWN AND STABLE BASIS, TO AVOID DISRUPTION TO THE BUYING SEASONS AND TO ALLOW MANUFACTURERS TO PLAN PRODUCTION SCHEDULES.
FULL DETAILS OF THE REVISED CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS, WHICH ARE RETROACTIVE FROM JANUARY 1, 1975, ARE CONTAINED IN A NOTICE TO EXPORTERS ISSUED TODAY BY THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT.
THESE MEASURES TAKEN ON THE ADVICE OF THE TEXTILES ADVISORY BOARD, AFFECT EXPORTS OF RESTRAINED TEXTILES TO THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE BENELUX COUNTRIES, ITALY, FRANCE AND DENMARK.
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