XN000022-1978-06-30 — Page 9

FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 1978

8

HONG KONG-NORWAY TEXTILE TALKS

******

+A FURTHER ROUND OF CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN DELEGATIONS FROM NORWAY AND HONG KONG WAS CONCLUDED IN OSLO TODAY, 29 JUNE 1979.

+THE CONSULTATIONS WERE A CONTINUATION OF THOSE HELD LAST MONTH CONCERNING THE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WOULD APPLY TO TRADE IN TEXTILES BETWEEN NORWAY AND HONG KONG.

+BOTH DELEGATIONS EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE TOWARDS REACHING A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE BILATERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN TEXTILES, ALTHOUGH IN SOME AREAS, DIFFERENCES OF OPINION AND APPROACH REMAINED UNRESOLVED. BOTH DELEGATIONS RECOGNISED THAT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, OTHER SOLUTIONS TO THE CURRENT PROBLEM UNDER THE TERMS OF THE GATT MAY BE NECESSARY.

+FURTHER CONSULTATIONS MAY NONETHELESS BE HELD LATER IN THE

YEAR.+

THAT STATEMENT ON THE OUTCOME OF THE HONG KONG-NORWAY TEXTILE TALKS WAS RECEIVED BY TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT FROM OSLO TODAY (JUNE 30).

COMMENTING ON IT, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT, ALTHOUGH THE TWO SIDES HAD COME CLOSER, NORWAY WAS STILL SEEKING A CUTBACK ON IMPORTS GREATER THAN HONG KONG COULD CONTEMPLATE.

IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT NORWAY WILL CONTINUE ITS PRESENT IMPORT CONTROL REGIME UNTIL FURTHER CONSULTATIONS LEADING TO AGREEMENT OR OTHER SOLUTIONS ARE FOUND.

REFERRING TO 'OTHER SOLUTIONS', THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ONE POSSIBILITY OPEN TO THE NORWEGIANS IS TO INTRODUCE A NON- DISCRIMINATORY GLOBAL QUOTA UNDER ARTICLE XIX OF THE GATT.

+ IT WAS THE DISCRIMINATION RATHER THAN THE FACT OF THE IMPORT RESTRICTIONS WHICH PROMPTED HONG KONG TO RAISE A COMPLAINT IN THE GATT COUNCIL LAST MONTH.+

THE HONG KONG DELEGATION IS EXPECTED TO RETURN NEXT WEEK.

19