TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1984
GAT ACTION URGED ON U.S. ORIGIN RULES
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THE PROPOSED U.S. RULES OF ORIGIN ON TEXTILE EXPORTS TO MERICA WILL AFFECT ALL EXPORTERS OF TEXTILES ADVERSELY, HONG KONG'S DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, TOLD THE EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE (GATT), IN GENEVA TODAY (TUESDAY).
MR MACLEOD SAID HONG KONG CONSIDERED THE PROPOSED U.S. REGULATIONS WERE IN CLEAR BREACH OF THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT (MFA) AND THE UNITED STATES-HONG KONG BILATERAL AGREEMENT, AND THAT THEY MADE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE ESTABLISHED RULES OF ORIGIN.
THEREFORE, HE CALLED FOR THE REGULATIONS TO BE RESCINDED.
THE DIRECTOR RECORDED HONG KONG'S FULL AGREEMENT WITH THE CLEAR AND WELL-AGREED STATEMENT MADE ON BEHALF OF DEVELOPING EXPORTERS OF TEXTILES AND CLOTHING BY THE MEXICAN REPRESENTATIVE, MR DELGADO.
MR MACLEOD SOUNDED A WARNING THAT AN UNFORTUNATE TREND WHICH APPEARED TO BE DEVELOPING FOR EVER MORE RESTRICTIVE MEASURES TO BE INTRODUCED UNILATERALLY TO APPEASE THE U.S. TEXTILE INDUSTRY+ HAD IMPLICATIONS BEYOND THE ISSUES DISCUSSED BY THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE.
+THIS TYPE OF ACTION, IN DISREGARD OF INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS, WEAKENS THE CREDIBILITY OF THE WHOLE FRAMEWORK OF ORDERLY TRADE UNDER THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT, AND THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT SUCH ATTITUDES WILL NOT IN DUE COURSE RESULT IN SIMILARLY RESTRICTIVE MEASURES IN OTHER SECTORS OF TRADE, + MR MACLEOD SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO THE RULES UNDER THE BILATERAL TEXTILES AGREEMENT MUST BE BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT.
IF THE UNITED STATES DID, IN FACT, HAVE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BILATERAL AGREEMENTS OR ABOUT CIRCUMVENTION THEN, MR MACLEOD SAID, THE APPROPRIATE AVENUE FOR DEALING WITH SUCH CONCERNS WAS TO SEEK CONSULTATIONS WITH A VIEW TO ARRIVING AT MUTUALLY-AGREED SOLUTIONS.
+HOWEVER, I MUST COMMENT THAT THE REAL INTENTION BEHIND THE REGULATIONS APPEARS TO US TO BE NOT SO MUCH TO PREVENT CIRCUMVENTION OF THE EXISTING RULES AS TO CHANGE THOSE RULES,+ THE DIRECTOR SAID.
+AND BY SO DOING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, TO CHANGE THE COVERAGE OF CATEGORIES OF TEXTILE PRODUCTS SUBJECT TO QUOTA.
/+ONE SPECIFIC