WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1577
IT ALSO WANTS, HE CONTINUED, TO LIMIT THE GROWTH OF IMPORTS OF SO-CALLED 'HIGH IMPORT PENETRATION CATEGORIES TO FIGURES WELL BELOW THE INTERNATIONALLY AGREED MINIMUM OF SIX PER CENT PROVIDED FOR IN THE MFA, AND, INDEED TO CUT BACK IMPORTS FROM SO-CALLED 'DOMINANT SUPPLIERS' OF WHOM HONG KONG IS ONE IN RESPECT OF MANY SUCH CATEGORIES.+
HE WARNED THAT THESE FAR-REACHING PROPOSALS, IF ACCEPTED, WOULD HAVE SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS, +PARTICULARLY SO BECAUSE FROM PAST EXPERIENCE, WHATEVER GUIDELINES ARE ESTABLISHED IN THE MFA AS THE MINIMA, VERY SOON IT WILL BE REGARDED AS THE MAXIMA BY THE DEVELOPED IMPORTING COUNTRIES.+
MR. TIEN RECALLED THAT THE DELEGATION OF ALL THE CHAIRMEN OF THE 13 TEXTILE AND GARMENT MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATIONS LED EY HIM TO LONDON TOWARDS THE END OF LAST MONTH TO EXPRESS CONCERN AT THE POLICIES REPORTEDLY BEING PURSUED BY THE EEC, AND BY THE UK AS ONE OF ITS MEMBER STATES, WAS COURTEOUSLY RECEIVED AND PATIENTLY HEARD AT A HIGH LEVEL.
HE SAID HE WAS AWARE OF THE STRENUOUS EFFORTS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT, PARTICULARLY THE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, HAD MADE TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF THE INDUSTRY TO THE UK GOVERNMENT.
+1 CANNOT BUT FEEL A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT ALL THESE EFFORTS HAVE NOT YET SUCCEEDED IN BRINGING ABOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE ATTITUDE OF THE EEC ON ITS POLICY ON TEXTILES NOR ON THE FUTURE OF THE MFA,+ HE SAID.
AS TO THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG'S BILATERAL AGREEMENTS, MR. TIEK HOPED THAT IN THE COURSE OF NEGOTIATIONS TO REPLACE THE EXISTING AGREEMENT WITH THE EEC WHICH WILL EXPIRE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, +THE EEC WILL NOT SEEK TO INTENSIFY WHAT ARE ALREADY VERY SEVERE RESTRICTIONS ON OUR EXPORTS TO ITS MARKETS.+
MR. TIEN WELCOMED THE NEW FIVE-YEAR BILATERAL AGREEMENT WITH THE UNITED STATES WHICH PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH THE INDUSTRY CAN PLAN ITS PRODUCTION AND SALES IN RESPECT OF OUR LARGEST SINGLE MARKET UP TO THE END OF 1982.+
HE REGRETTED HOWEVER THAT THE TERMS HAD SO FAR NOT BEEN DISCLOSED AND THIS WAS MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE INDUSTRY TO MAKE COMMERCIAL DECISIONS ON WHETHER OR NOT TO ACCEPT ORDERS FOR GOODS TO BE SHIPPED NEXT YEAR, HE SAID.
THE HON, HILTON CHEONG-LEEN ALSO SPOKE ON THE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG'S TEXTILE AND GARMENT INDUSTRY DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE, AND POINTED OUT THAT THE SHORT AND LONG-TERM OUTLOOK WAS A CONTINUOUS CAUSE FOR CONCERN.
THE LOW WAGE STRUCTURE AND IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY OF OTHER TEXTILE EXPORTING COUNTRIES IN ASIA MERE MAKING DEEP INROADS IN OUR MAJOR TRADITIONAL MARKETS, AND THE SEVERELY PROTECTIONIST ATTITUDE OF A NUMBER OF EEC COUNTRIES AS A SERIOUS THREAT AND SOURCE OF UNCERTAINTY FOR HONG KONG'S TEXTILE TRADE, HE SAID.