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WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1980
CORRECT APPRAISAL OF WORLD CONDITIONS AIMED FOR MFA NEGOTIATIONS
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WHEN THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT NEGOTIATIONS ARE EVENTUALLY HELD, IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S AIM TO ENSURE THAT THEY WILL BE BASED ON A FACTUAL AND COMPLETE APPRAISAL OF WORLD CONDITIONS IN THE TEXTILE AND GARMENT TRADE AND INDUSTRY.
THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, THE HON BILL DORWARD, SAID THIS IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON FRANCIS TIEN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
MR DORWARD SAID THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH WERE HELD TO JUSTIFY PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENTS COULD NOT BE ASSUMED TO BE AUTOMATICALLY VALID THIS YEAR.
+NOR CAN AN EXTENDED MFA, IN ANY FORM, BE JUSTIFIED BY PROBLEMS FACED BY INDUSTRIES IN THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, SUCH AS UNEVEN GROWTH IN TRADE BETWEEN EEC COUNTRIES AND ASSOCIATES OR UNEMPLOYMENT CAUSED BY IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY, WHICH ARE NOT OF A NATURE THE MFA WAS DESIGNED TO ALLEVIATE, HE SAID.
+WE SHALL BE SEEKING, THROUGH OUR REGULAR CONTACTS WITH DEVELOPING AND DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, TO GAIN SUPPORT FOR THIS APPROACH DURING THE COMING MONTHS,+ MR DORWARD STRESSED.
THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT, UNDER WHICH HONG KONG'S CURRENT BILATERAL TEXTILE AGREEMENTS ARE NEGOTIATED, DOES NOT EXPIRE UNTIL THE END OF 1981.
MR DORWARD SAID IT WAS TOO EARLY TO SAY HOW WE WOULD SEEK TO PROTECT HONG KONG'S TRADING INTERESTS THROUGHOUT THE RENEGOTIATION PROCESS.
HE SAID IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO SEE WHAT WAS BEING SOUGHT BY THOSE SEEKING CONTINUED SPECIAL PROTECTION FOR THEIR TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRIES BEYOND THE 20 YEARS OF SUCH PROTECTION WHICH THEY WOULD BY THEN ALREADY HAVE ENJOYED.
+ IT WILL, HOWEVER, BE THE SUBJECT OF A MAJOR REVIEW IN THE AUTUMN OF THIS YEAR,+ MR DORWARD SAID, +FOLLOWING WHICH THE PARTICIPANTS WILL MEET IN GENEVA AROUND THE END OF 1980 TO CONSIDER, IN THE WORDS OF THE ARRANGEMENT, WHETHER IT SHOULD BE EXTENDED, MODIFIED OR DISCONTINUED.+
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