TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1988
1
HK PLAYS VITAL PART IN GATT GROUP
A HONG KONG TRADE OFFICIAL IS IN GENEVA THIS WEEK TO CHAIR A MEETING OF AN IMPORTANT GROUP INVOLVED IN LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE FUTURE WORLD INTERNATIONAL TRADING SYSTEM.
INDUSTRY,
THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND
MR MICHAEL CARTLAND, IS CHAIRING A MEETING OF THE NEGOTIATING CROUP LOOKING AT SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES AS PART OF THE URUGUAY ROUND OF TALKS UNDER THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE (GATT).
COMPLICATED NEGOTIATIONS WERE INVOLVED BEFORE THE GATT NATIONS AGREED TO THE CHAIRMANSHIPS OF THE 14 GROUPS ESTABLISHED TO COVER A WHOLE RANGE OF SUBJECTS.
AN
THE FACT THAT HONG KONG CHAIRED SUCH AN IMPORTANT GROUP WAS INDICATION THAT IT WAS WELL REGARDED AND WAS SEEN AS BEING IMPARTIAL ON MANY ISSUES, MR CARTI AND SAID.
"SUBSIDIES HAS BEEN AN AREA OF MUCH DISPUTE OVER THE YEARS, IT CONTAINS SOME FAIRLY INTRACTABLE PROBLEMS,
[L HE SAID.
"SUBSIDY WARS MAY BREAK OUT BETWEEN LARCE NATIONS OR GROUPS BUT THESE ALSO CREATE PROBLEMS FOR SMALLER SUPPLIES WHO ARE DISPLACED FROM THESE MARKETS AND FROM THIRD COUNTRY MARKETS.
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MR CARTLAND EXPLAINED THAT THE GROUP WAS LOOKING AT BOTH SUBSIDIES, AND AT COUNTERVAILING DUTIES WHICH WERE USED BY NATIONS TO COUNTER THE EFFECTS OF SUBSIDIES BY OTHERS. THE GROUP HAD BEEN MEETING REGULARLY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS AND THIS WEEK'S MEETING THE FIFTH THIS YEAR.
WAS
"THE MAIN PURPOSE THIS WEEK 19 TO REACH AGREEMENT ON A GROUP REPORT WHICH, ALONG WITH THE REPORTS OF THE OTHER GROUPS, WILL BE SENT TO THE MONTREAL MID-TERM REVIEW OF THE URUGUAY DECEMBER," HE SAID.
ROUND IN
EACH OF THE GROUPS WORKED OUT A NEGOTIATING PLAN AT OF THE ROUND.
THE START
THE SUBSIDIES GROUP STARTED ITS WORK BY EXAMINING BACKGROUND MATERIAL AND TAKING SUBMISSIONS FROM DELEGATIONS, BACKGROUND MATERIAL AND TAKING SUBMISSIONS FROM DELEGATIONS,
"NOW THE GROUP HAS IDENTIFIED FROM THIS MATERIAL OF ISSUES FOR NEGOTIATION," MR CARTLAND SAID.
ALL
AS AS
THE WELL
WELL
A
COMPENDIU"
"DURING THIS WEEK'S MEETING WE WILL BE DRAWING UP A REPORT I.
WHICH WE WILL STATE FACTUALLY WHAT WE HAVE DONE WILL PROCEED IN THE NEXT TWO SUBSTANTIVE NEGOTIATIONS.
YEARS WHEN WE
RO FAR AND HOW ** WILL ENGAGE IN THE
"THE DIFFICULTY