FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1980
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TICD DIRECTOR LEAVES FOR BOGOTA CONFERENCE
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THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR BILL DORWARD, LEFT TODAY FOR BOGOTA TO ATTEND A FIVE-DAY CONFERENCE OF DEVELOPING TEXTILE EXPORTING COUNTRIES, WHO ARE TO DISCUSS THE IR ATTITUDES TO THE RENEWAL OF THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT, DUE AT THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
HONG KONG WAS INVITED TO ATTEND BY THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS HOSTING THE MEETING.
MR DORWARD, WHO IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE COUNSELLOR (HONG KONG AFFAIRS) IN GENEVA, MR BRIAN CHAU, WILL RETURN ON NOVEMBER 11.
DURING HIS ABSENCE MR PETER TSAO WILL BE ACTING DIRECTOR OF TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS.,
NORWAY BREAKS OFF TEXTILE TALKS WITH HONG KONG
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MR PETER TSAO, ACTING DIRECTOR OF TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT HONG KONG HAD BEEN INFORMED BY NORWAY THAT THE BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS, ADJOURNED SINCE OCTOBER 10, 1980 WOULD NOT BE RESUMED.
+WE HAVE NOW BEEN INFORMED BY NORWAY THAT IN THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES THERE IS NOT SUFFICIENT BASIS' FOR NORWAY TO CONCLUDE A BILATERAL AGREEMENT WITH HONG KONG, HE SAID.
BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND NORWAY WERE RESUMED EARLIER THIS YEAR FOLLOWING A DECISION BY THE GATT COUNCIL IN JUNE THAT NORWAY'S IMPORT ACTION UNDER ARTICLE XIX WAS INCONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE GATT. THE LAST ROUND WAS SUSPENDED AT THE REQUEST OF THE NORWEGIAN DELEGATION TO ENABLE IT TO RETURN TO NORWAY FOR CONSULTATIONS.
+OBVIOUSLY NORWAY MUST HAVE ITS REASONS FOR THIS ABRUPT CHANGE OF DIRECTION. HOWEVER, WE ARE SORRY TO SEE THAT DESPITE THE EFFORTS MADE BY BOTH SIDES, NORWAY HAS NOW RULED OUT BILATERAL SETTLEMENT AS A SOLUTION. WE EXPECT TO BE INFORMED BY NORWAY BY NOVEMBER 17 AS TO WHAT IMPORT REGIME NORWAY WILL APPLY IN 1981. WHEN THAT IS KNOWN, HONG KONG WILL THEN CONSIDER
ITS POSITION AND DECIDE ON ITS NEXT STEP. IN THE MEANTIME, HONG KONG WILL BE REPORTING THIS LATEST DEVELOPMENT TO THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE GATT, SAID MR TSAO.
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