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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1979
HONG KONG-US TEXTILE TALKS RESUMED IN GENEVA
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CONSULTATIONS ON TEXTILE EXPORTS FROM HONG KONG TO THE UNITED STATES WILL RESUME IN GENEVA ON MONDAY (OCTOBER 29).
BEFORE LEAVING FOR GENEVA THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING, THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR. PETER TSAO, SAID: THESE TALKS FIRST STARTED IN MANILA AND WERE FOLLOWED BY A FÜRTHER ROUND IN HONG KONG EARLIER THIS MONTH. WE HAVE HAD DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS IN THE PAST, BUT OUR TRACK RECORD SHOWS THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS GIVEN SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATIONS TO PROBLEMS FACED BY OUR TRADING PARTNERS AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN UNFORTHCOMING IN CO-OPERATING WITH THEM.
+THE SITUATION WHICH WE NOW FACE IS A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT ONE IN THAT FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW, PRESSURES HAVE CONTINUALLY BEEN PUT ON US TO REVISE THE FIVE-YEAR HK/US TEXTILE AGREEMENT, WHICH ONLY CAME INTO EFFECT LAST YEAR.
+THE HONG KONG INDUSTRY HAS BECOME EXTREMELY CONCERNED BY THESE REPEATED REQUESTS FROM THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE FURTHER RESTRICTIVE MEASURES, THE INDUSTRY IS ASKING HOW MANY MORE TIMES WILL THE UNITED STATES COME BACK TO US. THE AGREEMENT HAS BECOME IN EFFECT SIGNED AND SEALED, BUT NOT DELIVERED.
+WHAT IS MORE, THE LOCAL INDUSTRY ARE BEGINNING TO FEEL THAT THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS NOT ONLY ASKING FOR REVISIONS, BUT IS USING HARRASSING TACTICS TO PRESSURISE HONG KONG INTO AGREEING FOR SUCH REVISIONS. THEY POINTED TO THE RECENT SPATE OF REQUESTS FOR SUSPENSION OF EXPORT AUTHORISATIONS - 11 REQUESTS IN TWO WEEKS COMPARED WITH NINE IN THE WHOLE OF LAST YEAR - AS EVIDENCE.
+ I EXPECT THESE TALKS TO BE DIFFICULT, MR. TSAO SAID.
RESULTS OF LATEST TENDER FOR 300 URBAN TAXI LICENCES
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THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT HAS COMPLETED PROCESSING THE LATEST TENDERS FOR 300 HONG KONG AND KOWLOON TAXI LICENCES.
A TOTAL OF 933 TENDERS SEEKING 1 434 TAXI LICENCES HAD BEEN RECEIVED WHEN THE OFFER CLOSED ON SEPTEMBER 28. THE HIGHEST TENDER WAS $235 500 AND THE LOWEST ACCEPTABLE BID WAS $230 788.
DETAILS OF SUCCESSFUL TENDERERS AND THE AMOUNTS OFFERED ARE PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TODAY (FRIDAY).
A DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT THE AVERAGE PREMIUM IN THE LATEST TENDER EXERCISE WAS $233 740 COMPARED WITH THE AVERAGE PREMIUM OF $219 900 IN THE PREVIOUS TENDER IN JUNE THIS YEAR.
HE SAID THAT THE AVERAGE PREMIUM OF PREVIOUS TENDERS WAS $208 500 IN MARCH THIS YEAR- $258 500 IN DECEMBER, $244 000 IN AUGUST AND $208 500 IN APRIL LAST YEAR- AND $182 800 IN JUNE 1977.
/THE SFCHISMAN
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