WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1978
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HONG KONG-CANADA TEXTILE AGREEMENT
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FORMAL SIGNATURE OF AN AGREEMENT WITH CANADA IS EXPECTED SHORTLY, FOLLOWING A STATEMENT BY CANADIAN GOVERNMENT MINISTERS IN TTAWA THIS WEEK CONCERNING 1979 ARRANGEMENTS FOR TEXTILE AND CLOTHING IMPORTS.
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR. BILL DORWARD, RECALLED THAT TERMS WERE NEGOTIATED WITH A CANADIAN DELEGATION IN HONG KONG LAST MARCH.
FULL DETAILS WILL BE RELEASED WHEN THE AGREEMENT IS FORMALLY SIGNED.
MEANWHILE TO ASSIST THE TRADE TO MAKE FORWARD PLANS THE DEPARTMENT HAS ANNOUNCED THE BROAD PRINCIPLES OF QUOTA ALLOCATION AND THE LICENSING ARRANGEMENTS IT INTENDS TO IMPLEMENT.
COMMENTING ON THE RESTRAINTS, WHICH WILL APPLY TO THE BULK OF HONG KONG CLOTHING EXPORTS TO CANADA, MR. DORWARD SAID: THE MOST WELCOME FEATURE OF THIS ARRANGEMENT IS THAT IT RESTORES THE PRINCIPLES OF NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT AND EXPORT CONTROL, TWO THINGS BY WHICH HONG KONG PLACES GREAT STORE.+
SINCE NOVEMBER 29, 1976, WHEN CANADA ABRUPTLY TERMINATED THE RESTRAINT AGREEMENTS WHICH THEN EXISTED WITH HONG KONG, CONTROLS HAVE BEEN EXERCISED IN CANADA ON IMPORTS. EXPORTS OF HONG KONG TEXTILES AND CLOTHING TO CANADA DROPPED TO $601 MILLION IN 1977 FROM THEIR 1976 LEVEL OF $832 MILLION.
NOTICES TO EXPORTERS SETTING OUT THE BROAD GUIDELINES FOR 1979 ARRANGEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS.
A FURTHER NOTICE WILL SHORTLY BE ISSUED CALLING FOR RETURNS FROM SHIPPERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CALCULATING QUOTA ALLOCATIONS.
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