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POSITIVE PROGRESS IN VARIOUS AREAS OF URUGUAY ROUND
ALTHOUGH THE OUTLOOK APPEARS UNCERTAIN FOR THE MOMENT, THERE HAS BEEN POSITIVE PROGRESS IN VARIOUS AREAS OF THE URUGUAY ROUND OF MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS.
SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL DINNER OF THE TEXTILE INSTITUTI THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR JOHN CHAN, SAID SUCH AREAS INCLUDED, NOTABLY, TEXTILES AND CLOTHING, BUT ALSO RULES OF ORIGIN; TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE; IMPORT LICENSING; CUSTOMS VALUATION; AND TRADE IN SERVICES.
"AS ONE WOULD EXPECT, HONG KONG HAS PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES, PARTICULARLY ON TEXTILES AND CLOTHING, MR CHAN SAID.
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WORLD TRADE IN TEXTILES AND CLOTHING HAD BREN GOVERNED BY A FRAMEWORK PERMITTING DISCRIMINATORY QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS, FROM. THE SO-CALLED SHORT-TERM ARRANGEMENT REGARDING INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN COTTON TEXTILES IN 1961, THE LONG-TERM ARRANGEMENT IN 1962 ΤΟ THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT, OR FMA, IN 1974, HE SAID.
IT WAS NEVER A WELCOME ARRANGEMENT FOR HONG KONG FROM THE START, AND CERTAINLY NOT ONE WHICH COULD BE REGARDED AS BEING COMPATIBLE WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE.
MR CHAN SAID THE URUGUAY ROUND, WITH ITS PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF NEGOTIATING THE REMOVAL OR REDUCTION OF EXISTING TRADE BARRIERS, PRESENTED A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR ENDING THE MFA AND FOR INTEGRATING THE TEXTILES AND CLOTHING SECTOR INTO THE GATT.
"INDEED, ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THE URUGUAY ROUND, AGREED BY MINISTERS AT PUNTA DEL ESTE FOUR YEARS AGO, IS TO SET DOWN ARRANGEMENTS FOR RETURNING THE TEXTILES AND CLOTHING SECTOR TO GATT RULES AND DISCIPLINES AFTER THE EXPIRY OF THE MFA NEXT YEAR,' HE SAID.
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THE SUMMER BREAK THIS ADOPT THE EXISTING MFA INTEGRATION PROCESS AND
HE SAID NEGOTIATIONS IN GENEVA AFTER YEAR SAW THE EMERGENCE OF A CONSENSUS TO RESTRICTIONS AS THE STARTING POINT FOR THE THE GOAL WAS TO PHASE OUT THESE RESTRICTIONS OVER AN AGREED TIME SPAN.
"THE NEGOTIATIONS WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE UP TO NOW ARE POINTING TO A POST-MFA ARRANGEMENT BASED ON A TRANSITION PERIOD OF ABOUT 10 YEARS, DIVIDED INTO, SAY, THREE STAGES, WITH EACH STAGE MARKING THE RETURN OF CERTAIN PRODUCTS TO THE GATT, HE SAID.
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MR CHAN SAID THAT, AS PARTICIPANTS ENTERED INTO THE MINISTERIAL-LEVEL MEETING IN BRUSSELS EARLY THIS MONTH, A SMALL GROUP OF KEY IMPORTING AND EXPORTING PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING HONG KONG, COMMITTED TO WORKING OUT AN AGREEMENT ALONG THESE LINES.
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HOWEVER, HE SAID, SOME PARTICIPANTS WERE LESS WILLING TO AGREEMENT ON TEXTILES AND CLOTHING AHEAD OF A RESOLUTION OF DIFFICULTIES IN THE AREA OF AGRICULTURE IN WHICH THEY HAD HIGH STAKES.
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