WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1982
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HOWEVER, IT IS THOSE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR WHO MUST FROM NOW ON CARRY THE MATTER FORWARD SO AS TO ENSURE THAT THE NEEDS OF THOSE SEEKING TO ARBITRATE IN HONG KONG, BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL PARTIES, ARE MET, HE ADDED.
MR GRIFFITHS SAID THIS WILL INVOLVE DISCUSSION BETWEEN LOCAL BODIES CONCERNED WITH ARBITRATION, SUCH AS THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE INSTITUTE OF ARBITRATORS, THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE LAW SOCIETY, THE BAR AND OTHER BODIES TO CONSIDER HOW THE PRESENT SHORTAGE OF TRAINED ARBITRATORS CAN BEST BE CURED AND THE OTHER NECESSARY SERVICES AND FACILITIES PROVIDED.
IT WILL ALSO BE NECESSARY TO CONSIDER AGREEING AND DRAFTING THE RULES UNDER WHICH HONG KONG ARBITRATIONS ARE TO BE CONDUCTED, AND TO ADOPT SUITABLE CLAUSES FOR INCORPORATION IN CONTRACTS WHERE THE PARTIES WISH TO NOMINATE HONG KONG AS THE PLACE FOR ARBITRATION IF CONTRACTUAL DIFFERENCES AND DISPUTES ARISE.
+THERE REMAINS MUCH TO BE DONE. BUT I AM CONFIDENT MYSELF THAT THE NEED IS THERE, AND THAT HONG KONG CAN AND WILL IN DUE COURSE MEET IT, HE SAID.
TALKS ON FRENCH RESTRICTION RESUME NEXT WEEK
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THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, THE HON BILL DORWARD TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN CONSULTATIONS CONDUCTED UNDER THE GATT PROCEDURES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE EEC COMMISSION ON FRENCH IMPORT RESTRICTIONS WOULD BE DETERMINED BY WHETHER OR NOT HONG KONG RECEIVED EARLY SATISFACTION FOR ITS COMPLAINT.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON FRANCIS TIEN, MR DORWARD SAID THAT THE FIRST ROUND OF CONSULTATIONS HELD IN GENEVA LAST WEEK WERE ESSENTIALLY EXPLORATORY AND WERE DUE TO BE RESUMED IN PARIS NEXT WEEK.
+WHAT WE ARE SEEKING IS THE REMOVAL OF DISCRIMINATORY IMPORT RESTRICTIONS MAINTAINED ON NINE CATEGORIES OF HONG KONG PRODUCTS CONTRARY, IN OUR VIEW, TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE GATT. EIGHT OF THESE WERE THE RESIDUE OF A ONCE LARGER NUMBER WHICH HAD BEEN GRADUALLY REDUCED.
+THE REMAINING EIGHT, THE NUMBER REMAINING SINCE 1977, HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS, DESPITE REPEATED ATTEMPTS AT MANY LEVELS TO HAVE THEM REMOVED, THE NINTH WAS IMPOSED IN OCTOBER 1981 WHEN A LIMIT WAS UNILATERALLY PLACED ON QUARTZ WATCHES, EFFECTIVELY CUTTING BACK SHARPLY ON POTENTIAL EXPORTS WHICH HAD REACHED ROUGHLY $240 MILLION IN VALUE OR 17 PER CENT OF TOTAL DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO FRANCE IN 1980, + SAID MR DORWARD.
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