WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1986
33
FEATURES OF EEC MANDATE FOR TALKS SET OUT
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REFERRING TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF AN AGREED MANDATE YESTERDAY FOR THE RENEGOTIATION OF THE BILATERAL TEXTILES AGREEMENT, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF TRALE, EEC, MR JOSEPH WONG, SAID THAT THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE EEC MANDATE INCLUDE:
* REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF BILATERAL AGREEMENTS
(WHICH DOES NOT AFFECT HONG KONG);
* MAINTAINING EXISTING PRODUCT COVERAGE +
*
USING 1986 QUOTA LEVELS AS A BASIS FOR CALCULATING THE NEW QUOTA LEVELS:
* NO CUTBACKS IN QUOTAS;
*
REDUCTION IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF QUOTA RESTRICTIONS IN RESPECT OF ALL SUPPLIERS BY 25 PER CENT (DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS VARY BETWEEN SUPPLIERS);
* GROWTH RATE FOR SO-CALLED DOMINANT SUPPLIERS
(HONG KONG, MACAU, SOUTH KOREA, TAIWAN) IN SENSITIVE CATEGORIES OF BETWEEN O- 1 PER CENT
*
(4 - 6 PER CENT FOR OTHER SUPPLIERS);
AUTOMATIC TRANSFER OF QUOTAS BETWEEN REGIONS UP
TO A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE (2 - 12 PER CENT OVER 4 YEARS). THE CURRENT HK-EEC TEXTILES AGREEMENT WILL EXPIRE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR AND NEGOTIATIONS FOR A SUCCESSOR AGREEMENT WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
DATE SET FOR HK-U.S. TEXTILE TALKS
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BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE UNITED STATES ON THE TERRITORY'S TEXTILE EXPORTS TO THE U.S. WILL START ON MARCH 19, A TRADE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE SAID IT WAS NOT CLEAR AT THIS STAGE HOW LONG THE DISCUSSIONS WOULD LAST BUT IF NECESSARY, THEY COULD BE EXTENDED TO RUN THROUGH MARCH 20 AND MARCH 21.
THE DIRECTOR