TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1978
TEXTILES AGREEMENTS BRING STABILITY
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HONG KONG HAS BEEN ASSURED OF FIVE YEARS' STABILITY IN ITS MAJOR MARKETS WITH THE SIGNING OF TWO MAJOR TEXTILE AGREEMENTS WITH THE E.E.C. AND THE UNITED STATES IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR. DAVID JORDAN SAID TODAY.
HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY FOR NEWLY- ELECTED OFFICE BEARERS OF THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG GARMENT MANUFACTURERS.
MR. JORDAN SAID THAT THE FEDERATION WILL HAVE MUCH TO CONTRIBUTE TO HONG KONG'S EFFORTS IN MAKING THE BEST USE OF EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES, IN UP-GRADING HONG KONG'S PRODUCTS, AND IN DEVELOPING HONG KONG ITSELF AS A POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT MARKET.
MR. JORDAN POINTED OUT THAT IN 1977 THERE WAS SOME REDUCTION IN THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL CLOTHING EXPORTS AFTER THE DYNAMIC GROWTH THAT WAS ACHIEVED IN 1976.
+WE SAW TOO THE UNSETTLING EFFECTS OF HAVING TO NEGOTIATE TWO MAJOR TEXTILE AGREEMENTS AND SEVERAL SMALLER AGREEMENTS WITHIN A MATTER OF MONTHS, AS WELL AS HAVING TO IMPLEMENT THEM WITHIN AN EVEN SHORTER PERIOD.
MR. JORDAN WAS IMPRESSED BY THE NUMBER OF FEDERATION MEMBERS WHICH NOW EXCEEDS 450. +SUCH A LARGE ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP IS HARDLY A PORTENT OF THE DEMISE OF THE HONG KONG TEXTILE INDUSTRY, WHICH SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE PREDICTED WOULD COME FOLLOWING OUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EEC.+
PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE OUTGOING PRESIDENT, MR. LAM KUN-SHING, MR. JORDAN SAID THE GARMENT INDUSTRY AND ALL PEOPLE IN HONG KONG +HAVE DERIVED GREAT BENEFIT FROM MR. LAM'S ADVICE ON OUR COMPLEX EXPORT QUOTA SYSTEM AND IN THE NUMEROUS NEGOTIATIONS AND CONSULTATIONS WE HAVE HAD TO UNDERTAKE.+
MR. JORDAN PERFORMED THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY ONLY HOURS AFTER HIS ARRIVAL FROM LONDON WHERE HE ATTENDED ONE OF A REGULAR SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH HONG KONG'S REPRESENTATIVES OVERSEAS.
ALSO ATTENDING THE LONDON MEETING WERE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR. LAWRENCE MILLS, AND COMMISSIONER OF INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR. BILL DORWARD.
ON THE RETURN OF MR. JORDAN, THE ACTING DIRECTOR MR. BILL DORWARD RESUMES HIS POST AS COMMISSIONER OF INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, AND MR. ROY PORTER, THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER.
MR. PAUL WONG HAS BEEN APPOINTED ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF TRADE, REPLACING MR. JOHN CHAN WHO IS ON LEAVE PRIOR TO TAKING UP A NEW POST IN THE GOVERNMENT.
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