MONDAY, APRIL 28, 1930
U.S. G.S.P. DELEGATION ENDS TALKS
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TALKS WITH A VISITING U.S. G.S.P. DELEGATION FROM THE UNITED STATES HAD ENDED, A TRADE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THIS AFTERNOON (MONDAY).
THE ONE-DAY TALKS WERE PART OF THE PRESIDENTIAL REVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES GENERALISED SCHEME OF PREFERENCES. THE REVIEW WILL DETERMINE COMPETITIVE NEED LEVELS FOR EACH BENEFICIARY TERRITORY ON A PRODUCT BY PRODUCT BASIS. IT WILL ALSO DETERMINE WHETHER THE COMPETITIVE NEED LEVELS SHOULD BE WAIVED ALTOGETHER IN RESPECT OF ANY PRODUCTS FOR INDIVIDUAL BENEFICIARIES.
UNDER THE REVIEW THE PRESIDENT IS REQUIRED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT VARIOUS FACTORS INCLUDING AN INDIVIDUAL BENEFICIARY'S LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT, ITS COMPETITIVENESS IN RESPECT OF INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTS, AND ITS TRADE PRACTICES.
THE REVIEW HAS BEEN UNDER WAY SINCE FEBRUARY 1985 WITH SUBMISSIONS BEING MADE BY ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED, INCLUDING HONG KONG.
COMMENTING ON TODAY'S TALKS. THE SPOKESMAN SAID THERE HAD BEEN A USEFUL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID: THE AMERICAN DELEGATION EXPLAINED THE PARAMETERS UNDER WHICH THE REVIEW HAD TO OPERATE.
+IN RESPONSE, THE HONG KONG DELEGATION REFERRED TO THE VARIOUS SUBMISSIONS WHICH HAD BEEN MADE IN RESPECT OF HONG KONG'> OPEN MARKET, GOOD TRADE PRACTICES AND STRONG INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, PÁTENTS, TRADE MARK AND COPYRIGHT ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS.
+THE HONG KONG DELEGATION ALSO INDICATED WHICH PRODUCTS WERE OF GREATER PRIORITY FOR HONG KONG AS REGARDS WAIVERS OF COMPETITIVE NEED LIMITS OR IMPOSITION OF LOWER COMPETITIVE NEED LEVELS.+
THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WAS LED BY MR ROBERT FOOTMAN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF TRADE (NORTH AMERICA), AND THE U.S. DELEGATION WAS LED BY MR DAVE SHARK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE U.S. G.S.P. PROGRAMME, U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE'S OFFICE, AND SANDRA KRISTOFF, DEPUTY ASSISTANT, U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC.
THE RESULT OF THE REVIEW WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY JANUARY 4, 1987.
IN 1985, U.S. IMPORTS OF G.S.P. ITEMS FROM HONG KONG AMOUNTE TO U.S.$3 726 MILLION, OF WHICH U.S.$1 208 MILLION WAS GRANTED DUTY-FREE TREATMENT.
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