XN000022-1975-05-24 — Page 5

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SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1975

HONG KONG TO EXPORT MORE UNDER NEW TEXTILES AGREEMENT

WITH SWEDEN

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HONG KONG WILL BE ALLOWED TO INCREASE ITS EXPORTS OF TEXTILES TO SWEDEN BY FOUR PER CENT NEXT YEAR.

THIS IS THE OUTCOME (F FOUR DAYS OF TALKS HELD HERE BETWEEN A FIVE-MAN SWEDISH GOVERNMENT DELEGATION AND DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OFFICIALS.

IN ADDITION, HONG KONG OBTAINED AN IMPROVED SWING+ PROVISION WHICH GIVES GREATER FLEXIBILITY TO LOCAL EXPORTERS IN THE USE OF THEIR QUOTAS.

HOWEVER, THE SWEDISH DELEGATION POINTED OUT THAT EXPORTS OF SOME OTHER GARMENTS HAD INCREASED TO THE POINT WHERE THEY WERE HAVING A DISRUPTIVE EFFECT ON THE SWEDISH INDUSTRY. THE HONG KONG SIDE AGREED THAT THESE ITEMS SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LIST OF RESTRAINED ITEMS.

THE AGREEMENT WAS CONCLUDED UNDER ARTICLE 4 OF THE MULTIFIBRE ARRANGEMENT.

THE SWEDISH DELEGATION WAS LED BY MR. B. ARVIDSON, DEPUTY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE, MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS. THE HONG KONG SIDE WAS HEADED DY MR. ALEX PURVES, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.

THE NEW RESTRAINT ITEMS CONCERN KNIT BLOUSES OF COTTON AND SYNTHETIC FIBRE AND WOVEN BLOUSES OF CONTINUOUS SYNTHETIC FIBRE.

HONG KONG'S TOTAL DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO SWEDEN LAST YEAR AMOUNTED TO MORE THAN $388M THE BULK OF WHICH WAS TEXTILES AND GARMENTS.

A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WAS INITIALLED IN THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT THIS MORNING AND DETAILS OF THE CONTROL ARRANGEMENT AND THE PRINCIPLE GOVERNING ALLOCATION OF QUOTAS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN NOTICES TO EXPORTERS.

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