XN000022-1976-10-20 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1976

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TEXTILE QUOTA UTILISATION POSITION

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THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT TODAY PUBLISHED THE END OF SEPTEMBER 1976 FIGURES ON THE UTILISATION OF QUOTAS IN RESPECT OF ALL RESTRAINED MARKETS.

COMMENTING ON THE FIGURES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT SAID THAT WHILST THE RATE OF UTILISATION WAS HIGH IN A NUMBER OF CATEGORIES TO CERTAIN MARKETS, THE FLEXIBILITY PROVISIONS IN THE AGREEMENTS COULD ENABLE HONG KONG TO EXPORT UP TO CERTAIN SPECIFIED PERCENTAGES OVER AND ABOVE THE RESTRAINT LIMITS.

HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT FREE QUOTAS FOR CERTAIN CATEGORIES AND MARKETS WERE STILL AVAILABLE FOR APPLICATION AND INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD GET IN TOUCH WITH THE DEPARTMENT FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE QUOTA POSITION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE EEC, HONG KONG'S TWO MAJOR TEXTILE MARKETS.

USA

THE 1975/76 TEXTILE RESTRAINT PERIOD FOR THE USA ALREADY EXPIRED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1976, AND THE 1976/77 TEXTILE RESTRAINT PERIOD HAS COMMENCED ON OCTOBER 1, 1976. DURING THE 1975/76 TEXTILE RESTRAINT PERIOD ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1976, TOTAL QUOTAS USED AMOUNTED TO 796 MILLION EQUIVALENT SQ. YDS. OR 90 PER CENT OF THE OVERALL ANNUAL LIMIT. FIGURES SHOWING THE QUANTITIES LICENSED FOR EXPORTS AND PERCENTAGE UTILISATION ON A GROUP BASIS ARE SET OUT BELOW :-

PERCENTAGE UTILISATION AGAINST GROUP LIMITS

DESCRIPTION

QUANTITY LICENSED

GROUP I

YARNS AND FABRICS OF COTTON AND MAN-MADE FIBRES

206

85 PER CENT

GROUP |

APPAREL OF COTTON AND MAN-MADE FIBRES

526

96 PER CENT

GROUP 111

MADE-UPS AND MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES OF COTTON AND

34

62 PER CENT

MAN-MADE FIBRES

/GROUP IV