WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1989
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TRADE DEPARTMENT STAFF RECENTLY PAID A VISIT ΤΟ BRUSSELS AND FORMAL WRITTEN REPRESENTATIONS WERE MADE ON BEHALF OF THE LOCAL VIDEO CASSETTE TAPE INDUSTRY IN LATE FEBRUARY AND AGAIN IN EARLY APRIL.
IN ADDITION, PRELIMINARY WRITTEN REPRESENTATIONS HAD BEEN SUBMITTED IN A NUMBER OF OTHER, MORE RECENT CASES.
"STAFF OF THE BRUSSELS OFFICE ARE IN TOUCH WITH THE RELEVANT OFFICIALS IN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ON ALMOST A DAILY BASIS TO REINFORCE OUR POINT OF VIEW, HE SAID.
TT
MR HARBINSON NOTED THAT STAFF IN THE GOVERNMENT'S OVERSEAS OFFICES HAD BEEN EXPLAINING HONG KONG'S STAND ON ANTI-DUMPING TO OTHER GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING THE GOVERNMENTS OF MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY.
THE GOVERNMENT, IN ONE CASE WHERE SUCH ACTION SEEMED APPROPRIATE, WAS CONTRIBUTING TO A STUDY BEING COMMISSIONED BY ONE OF HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIES INTO THE IMPACT OF THE TERRITORY'S EXPORTS ON EUROPEAN INDUSTRY, HE SAID.
MR HARBINSON SAID THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WORK BEING PUT IN TO EXAMINE THE CONFORMITY, OR OTHERWISE, OF RECENT ANTI-DUMPING ACTIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL TRADE RULES UNDER THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE, AND TO CHALLENGE THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION IN AREAS WHERE THE GOVERNMENT FELT THEY HAD OVERSTEPPED
THE MARK.
HE POINTED OUT THAT. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A LIMIT то THE GOVERNMENT'S ROLE AS IT COULD NOT DIRECTLY REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF INDIVIDUAL COMPANIES, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
"WE THINK OUR REAL RESPONSIBILITY IS AT A MORE GENERAL LEVEL THAT IS, TO DEFEND THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE," HE CONCLUDED.
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CALIFORNIA TRADE OFFICE TO OPEN IN HONG KONG
THE GOVERNOR
OF CALIFORNIA MR GEORGE DEUKMEJIAN YESTERDAY BE (APRIL 25) ANNOUNCED THAT CALIFORNIA'S FOURTH OVERSEAS OFFICE WILL LOCATED IN HONG KONG. THE TWO-MAN OFFICE IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN EARLY NEXT YEAR.
DIRECTOR OF HONG KONG ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE IN SAN FRANCISCO, MR PETER JOHNSON, SAID THAT HONG KONG WELCOMES THIS DEVELOPMENT AS YET FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE IMPORTANT AND GROWING LINKS BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND HONG KONG.
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