FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 1976
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AUSTRALIA IMPOSES GLOBAL TARIFF QUOTAS ON GARMENTS
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EXPORT RESTRAINTS ON SIX GARMENT ITEMS WILL BE REPLACED BY GLOBAL TARIFF QUOTAS WHEN HONG KONG'S EXISTING AGREEMENT WITH AUSTRALIA UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT EXPIRES ON JUNE 30, 1976.
A COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS JUST INFORMED THE DEPARTMENT THAT IT DOES NOT WISH TO EXTEND THE AGREEMENT AND HAS DECIDED TO IMPOSE GLOBAL TARIFF QUOTAS ON THE ITEMS INVOLVED PLUS A FEW OTHERS.
THE SIX ITEMS INCLUDE SHIRTS, JACKETS, BLOUSES, DRESSES, TROUSERS AND JEANS.
THE TARIFF QUOTAS WILL INITIALLY APPLY FROM JULY 1, 1976 TO FEBRUARY 28, 1977. IMPORTS WITHIN THE QUOTAS WILL BE ADMITTED AT EXISTING CUSTOMS DUTY RATES WHILE IMPORTS ABOVE THE QUOTA LEVEL WILL BE CHARGED AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY RATE. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO ALLOW GOODS SHIPPED FROM HONG KONG BEFORE JULY 1, UNDER THE TERMS OF THE EXISTING RESTRAINT AGREEMENT, TO ENTER AUSTRALIA AT THE EXISTING DUTY RATES.
THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT HAS NOT YET RECEIVED FULL DETAILS OF THE AUSTRALIAN DECISION BUT HAS ONLY BEEN GIVEN SOME BASIC INFORMATION, NOTICE TO EXPORTERS WILL BE ISSUED AS SOON AS THE FULL DETAILS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED: +IT IS REGRETTABLE THAT AUSTRALIA HAS DECIDED TO ADOPT MEASURES OUTSIDE THE INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENT TO DEAL WITH TEXTILE IMPORTS. HONG KONG HAS ALWAYS LIVED UP TO ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE MFA AND HAS SINCE 1974 CONCLUDED TWO AGREEMENTS RESTRAINING ITS EXPORTS TO AUSTRALIA WHERE JUSTIFIED.+
THE SPOKESMAN CONTINUED: +IT IS TOO EARLY TO SAY WHAT EFFECT THE TARIFF QUOTAS WILL HAVE ON OUR GARMENT EXPORTS TO AUSTRALIA,+
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