FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1984
RESULTS OF TEXTILES ISSUES WITH U.S. ANNOUNCED
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THE TRADE DEPARTMENT HAS ANNOUNCED THE RESULTS OF THE TWO ISSUES REFERRED TO THE TEXTILE SURVEILLANCE BODY IN GENEVA FOR ITS MEETING ON DECEMBER 12 TO 14.
THE FIRST ISSUE CONCERNED FOUR UNITED STATES +CALLS+ MADE ON HONG KONG DURING 1984. +CALLS+ ARE REQUESTS FOR CONSULTATIONS WITH A VIEW TO BRINGING PARTICULAR PRODUCTS UNDER RESTRAINT IN A PARTICULAR YEAR, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CRITERIA SET OUT IN THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT BEING MET.
AFTER HEARING PRESENTATIONS BY BOTH THE U.S. AND HONG KONG, THE TSB RECOMMENDED THAT THE U.S. RESCIND THE RESTRICTIONS ESTABLISHED ON CATEGORIES 637 (MAN-MADE FIBRE PLAYSUITS), 650 (MAN-MADE FIBRE DRESSING GOWNS) AND 651 (MAN-MADE FIBRE PYJAMAS).
AS REGARDS CATEGORY 652 (MAN-MADE FIBRE UNDER-WEAR) THE TSB FOUND THAT THERE WAS A CASE OF REAL RISK OF MARKÉT DISRUPTION, AND THE RESTRAINT WILL THEREFORE REMAIN IN FORCE, AT LEAST UNTIL THE END OF 1984.
THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR. HAMISH MACLEOD, WHO LED THE HONG KONG DELEGATION IN GENEVA, CONSIDERED THE OUTCOME A +CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS+ FOR HONG KONG.
+THESE CASES HAVE A WIDER SIGNIFICANCE THAN JUST RELATING TO THE PRODUCTS AFFECTED; THESE UNAMBIGUOUS
RULINGS HELP TO REINFORCE THE DISCIPLINES WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO GOVERN THE USE OF THE CALL MECHANISM TO INTRODUCE NEW RESTRAINTS.
+SOME OF THESE CALLS HAVE BEEN QUITE UNJUSTIFIABLE. FOR EXAMPLE, IN ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES, THE U.S. HAD 97 PER CENT OF THE MARKET. TO SEEK RESTRAINT IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES IS SIMPLY NOT REASONABLE, HE SAID.
THE OTHER ISSUE CONSIDERED BY THE TSB CONCERNED THREE SWEATER SHIPMENTS FROM HONG KONG TO THE U.S. WHICH WERE DENIED ENTRY INTO THE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF THE NEW U.S. IMPORT REGULATIONS ANNOUNCED ON AUGUST 3 WHICH ESTABLISHED NEW CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING ORIGIN.
THE ESSENCE OF THE HONG KONG CASE WAS THAT THE U.S. HAD FRUSTRATED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BILATERAL TEXTILES AGREEMENT BY DENYING ENTRY TO PROPERLY LICENSED SHIPMENTS WHICH IN EARLIER YEARS OF THE AGREEMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED ENTRY AS HONG KONG ORIGIN SWEATERS. HONG KONG THEREFORE ASKED THE TSB TO RECOMMEND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.
THE OUTCOME
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