5
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1975
FULL REVIEW OF TEXTILES EXPORT CONTROL SYSTEM UNDERWAY
******
THE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, THE HON. DAVID JORDAN REITERATED TODAY THAT THE D.C. AND 1. WAS CONDUCTING A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE TEXTILES EXPORT CONTROL SYSTEM.
HE SAID THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD THROUGH THE PRESS AND THROUGH WRITTEN INVITATIONS ASKED THOSE INTERESTED TO PUT THEIR VIEWS TO THE D.C. AND 1. AS TO WHETHER ANY CHANGES WERE REQUIRED TO THE EXISTING SYSTEM AND, IF SO, WHAT THOSE CHANGES SHOULD BE.
A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS, HE ADDED, HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECEIVED AND WERE BEING CONSIDERED.
MR. JORDAN WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION PUT BY THE HON. ALEX WU IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON.
MR. JORDAN POINTED OUT THAT THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM WAS THAT ALLOCATION OF TEXTILE QUOTA WAS BASED ON PAST PERFORMANCE.
HOWEVER, HE ADDED, NON-QUOTA HOLDERS COULD TAKE PART IN +FREE-QUOTA+ SCHEMES OPERATED FROM TIME TO TIME BY THE DEPARTMENT, AND COMPANIES THAT WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE FULLY THE YARDAGE OBTAINED IN THIS MANNER WERE ELEGIBLE FOR A QUOTA ALLOCATION IN THE NEXT TEXTILE YEAR, THAT IS TO SAY, THEY BECOME QUOTA-HOLDERS THEMSELVES,
MR. JORDAN ADDED: AT THIS STAGE, WHILE OUR REVIEW IS IN PROGRESS, SHOULD NOT LIKE TO COMMIT MYSELF AS TO HOW FAR WE SHOULD GO IN FURTHER OPENING UP THE SYSTEM TO NON-QUOTA-HOLDERS, BUT I CAN ASSURE MY HONOURABLE FRIEND THAT WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE DESIRABILITY OF DOING SO - SO LONG AS WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE INTERESTS OF EXISTING QUOTA-HOLDERS ARE GIVEN REASONABLE PROTECTION AND THAT THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE ARE SERVED BY A SYSTEM THAT MAXIMISES THE USE OF THE LIMITED EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO US UNDER THE RESTRICTIVE AGREEMENTS THAT WE ARE OBLIGED TO IMPLEMENT.+
IN REPLY TO THE HON. FRANCIS TIEN WHO ASKED ABOUT THE EEC DECISION TO CONTINUE EXCLUDING HONG KONG'S TEXTILE EXPORTS FROM THE COMMUNITY'S GENERALISED SCHEME OF PREFERENCES. MR. JORDAN EXPLAINED THAT THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY HAD ORIGINALLY PROPOSED THE INCLUSION OF A LIMITED NUMBER OF +NON- SENSITIVE+ HONG KONG TEXTILE PRODUCTS IN THE EEC-GSP FOR 1976.
/+BUT THE COUNCIL