MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1985
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IMPORTANCE OF SEOUL MEETING STRESSED
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THE MEETING ON TEXTILES BY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, ON SEPTEMBER 3 TO 7 WAS IMPORTANT, THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
+ IT PROVIDED AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPING EXPORTING COUNTRIES TO EXCHANGE VIEWS FRANKLY, PARTICULARLY ON THE QUESTION OF THE MFA, WHETHER IT SHOULD BE EXTENDED, MODIFIED OR DISCONTINUED AFTER JULY 31, 1986, HE SAID.
+THE MEETING TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED AT THE TEXTILE COMMITTEE MEETING ON JULY 23, 1985,+ HE ADDED.
IN A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE MEETING, PARTICIPANTS MAINTAINED THAT THE GATT MINISTERIAL DECLARATION OF 1982 PROVIDED THE BASIS FOR THE LIBERALISATION OF TRADE IN TEXTILES AND CLOTHING, AND EXPRESSED THEIR READINESS TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSIONS IN A CONSTRUCTIVE AND POSITIVE SPIRIT.
PARTICIPANTS ALSO REITERATED THEIR SERIOUS CONCERN OVER PROTECTIONIST MEASURES AND PRESSURES ORIGINATING IN IMPORTING COUNTRIES, THE MOST NOTABLE BEING THE PROPOSED U.S. TEXTILE AND APPAREL TRADE ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 1985 (+THE JENKINS BILL+).
IF ENACTED, THE BILL WOULD CONSTITUTE A UNILATERAL TRADE MEASURE AND WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF THE UNITED STATES MULTILATERAL AND BILATERAL OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE GATT AND THE MFA.
BY INTRODUCING FORMALLY THE ELEMENT OF DISCRIMINATION IN A KEY SECTOR OF TRADE, THE BILL WOULD UNDERMINE THE VERY BASIS OF THE PRESENT OPEN MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM. IT WAS ALSO CONSIDERED THAT SUCH DEMANDS FOR ADDITIONAL DISCRIMINATORY PROTECTION WERE AN ENTIRELY UNSATISFACTORY RESPONSE TO PROBLEMS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN TEXTILES AND CLOTHING, PARTICIPANTS URGED THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION TO CONTINUE TO OPPOSE SUCH PROTECTIONIST PRESSURES.
→THE PROCESS OF COORDINATION AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES WILL CONTINUE IN GENEVA, IN PREPARATION FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THE MFA, A PROCESS STARTED IN THE JULY TEXTILES COMMITTEE MEETING, MR MACLEOD SAID.
THE HONG KONG DELEGATION TO THE SEOUL MEETING WAS LED BY MR MACLEOD AND INCLUDED MR MICHAEL CARTLAND AND MISS YVONNE CHO! OF THE GENEVA OFFICE AND MRS LESSIE WEI FROM THE TRADE DEPARTMENT.
THE MEETING, HOSTED BY THE SOUTH KOREA GOVERNMENT, WAS ALSO ATTENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF ARGENTINA, BANGLADESH, BRAZIL, CHINA, COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, EGYPT, GUATEMELA, INDIA, INDONESIA, JAMAICA, MACAU, MALAYSIA, PAKISTAN, PERU, PHILIPPINES, SINGAPORE, SRI LANKA, THAILAND, TURKEY AND URUGUAY.
THE NEXT MAJOR COORDINATION MEETING AMONG THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ON THE MFA WILL BE HELD IN BEIJING IN MARCH NEXT YEAR,
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