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THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1975
NEW TEXTILE AGREEMENT BETWEEN HONG KONG AND AUSTRALIA
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A NEW TEXTILE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN CONCLUDED BETWEEN HONG KONG AND AUSTRALIA, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR. DAVID JORDAN, ANNOUNCED TODAY.
THE PRODUCTS SUBJECT TO THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS ARE KNIT TOPS INCLUDING SHIRTS, BLOUSES, CARDIGANS, PULLOVERS ETC. MEN'S TROUSERS, WOVEN BLOUSES, WOMEN'S WOVEN COATS, WOMEN'S WOVEN NIGHTWEAR AND DRESSES.
THE AGREEMENT WAS REACHED AT LUNCHTIME TODAY AFTER EIGHT DAYS OF TALKS IN HONG KONG BETWEEN AN AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION LED BY MR. JACK FOGARTY OF THE AUSTRALIAN DEPARTMENT OF OVERSEAS TRADE AND THE HONG KONG DELEGATION LED BY MR. LAWRENCE MILLS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, COMMERCIAL RELATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.
COMMENTING ON THE AGREEMENT, MR. MILLS SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN REACHED UNDER ARTICLE 3 OF THE INTERNATIONAL MULTIFIDRE TEXTILE ARRANGEMENT. HE SAID THAT UNDER THE TERMS OF THE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT, AUSTRALIA HAD TO SHOW THAT TEXTILE IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG WERE CAUSING OR THREATENING TO CAUSE MARKET DISRUPTION IN AUSTRALIA AND DAMAGE TO AUSTRALIAN TEXTILE PRODUCERS.
+WE CAREFULLY EXAMINED THE EVIDENCE WHICH THE AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION PUT BEFORE US AND CONCLUDED THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL MULTIFIBRE TEXTILE ARRANGEMENT WE SHOULD RESTRAIN OUR EXPORTS OF THE PRODUCTS WHICH ARE NOW CAUGHT WITHIN THE NEW AGREEMENT÷, MR. MILLS SAID,
AS A RESULT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, FOUR NEW ITEMS HAVE BEEN MADE SUBJECT TO RESTRAINT, WHILST RESTRAINTS ON FOUR ITEMS CURRENTLY SUBJECT TO RESTRAINT WILL BE CONTINUED FOR ANOTHER YEAR. HOWEVER, THE AUSTRALIAN REQUEST FOR QUANTITATIVE LIMITATIONS ON EXPORTS OF TWO OTHER ITEMS WAS REFUSED BY HONG KONG AND THE CURRENT RESTRAINT ON ANOTHER ITEM WILL LAPSE FROM JULY 1, 1975. IT HAS ALSO BEEN POSSIBLE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ITEMS SUBJECT TO EXPORT AUTHORISATION SURVEILLANCE FROM SIX TO THREE.
+ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT LIKE TO SEE RESTRAINTS ON OUR EXPORTS+ MR. MILLS SAID, +1 FEEL THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED A REASONABLE AGREEMENT ON THE ITEMS WHERE OUR OBLIGATIONS REQUIRE US TO ACCEPT RESTRAINTS. THE PREVIOUS LIMITS HAVE BEEN INCREASED AND THERE ARE HELPFUL FLEXIBILITY PROVISIONS WHICH ENABLE HONG KONG TO CARRYOVER UNUSED QUANTITIES INTO A FUTURE PERIOD AND TO INCREASE THE RESTRAINT LEVELS BY TRANSFERRING PRODUCTS FROM ONE CATEGORY INTO ANOTHER. ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY HAS ALSO BEEN SECURED BY SOME RE-GROUPING OF SIMILAR PRODUCTS.
AR. HILLS