FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1976.
NEW RESTRAINTS ON TEXTILE EXPORTS TO CANADA
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HONG KONG HAS AGREED TO LIMIT ITS EXPORTS TO CANADA OF SWEATERS, CARDIGANS AND PULLOVERS OF MAN-MADE FIBRES OR WOOL TO 5,500,000 PIECES FOR ONE YEAR, STARTING ON AUGUST 1, 1976, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (FRIDAY).
THE AGREEMENT WAS REACHED AFTER FOUR DAYS OF TALKS IN HONG KONG BETWEEN A TEAM OF CANADIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, LED BY MR. JAMES MCKENNIERY, GENERAL DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF SPECIAL IMPORT POLICY, AND A HONG KONG TEAM LED BY MR. PETER TSAO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.
THE TALKS WERE HELD UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE MULTI FIBRE ARRANGEMENT.
FOR TAILORED SHIRTS WHICH ARE ALREADY UNDER RESTRAINT, IT WAS AGREED THAT THE RESTRAINT LEVEL OF ABOUT 50,000 DOZENS FOR THE PERIOD AUGUST 1 TO OCTOBER 31, 1976 BE INCREASED BY 20,000 DOZENS.
THE CANADIAN TEAM ALSO AGREED TO WITHDRAW THEIR REQUESTS FOR RESTRAINTS ON DOUBLE-KNIT AND WRAP-KNIT FABRICS AND WOVEN POLYESTER FILAMENT FABRICS. AT THE SAME TIME, IT WAS AGREED THAT THE CURRENT EXPORT AUTHORISATION ARRANGEMENT FOR DOUBLE-KNIT AND WRAP-KNIT FABRICS BE DISCONTINUED IMMEDIATELY AND THE EXPORT AUTHORISATION ARRANGEMENT FOR COTTON AND/OR POLYESTER WOVEN TROUSERS AND SHORTS AND COTTON WOVEN TERRY TOWELS BE DISCONTINUED AFTER SEPTEMBER 30, 1976.
A NOTICE HAS BEEN SENT TO COMPANIES INVITING SHIPMENT RETURNS ON KNITTED SWEATERS, PULLOVERS, CARDIGANS AND TAILORED SHIRTS.
THESE RETURNS SHOULD REACH THE DEPARTMENT NOT LATER THAN AUGUST 14, 1976 IN ORDER THAT THE ALLOCATION OF QUOTAS CAN BE MADE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
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