XN000022-1979-11-23 — Page 5

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1979

THE ONE-WEEK MEETING WHICH STARTS NEXT MONDAY (NOVEMBER 26) WILL DISCUSS A NUMBER OF TRADE ISSUES. IN PARTICULAR THE COMMITTEE WILL COVER INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN TEXTILES AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT (MFA), INCLUDING THE BILATERAL AGREEMENTS CONCLUDED UNDER IT.

MR. TSAO WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE COUNSELLOR (HONG KONG AFFAIRS) IN GENEVA, MR. BRIAN CHAU.

ON

FOLLOWING THE ESCAP MEETING HE WILL TRAVEL TO GENEVA WHERE DECEMBER 3, CONSULTATIONS WILL RESUME ON THE FUTURE OF THE CURRENT ONE-YEAR TEXTILE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND AUSTRIA.

THE CONSULTATIONS WERE ADJOURNED ON NOVEMBER 14 FOLLOWING THREE DAYS OF INCONCLUSIVE TALKS IN HONG KONG ON THE TWO AGREEMENTS WHICH WILL EXPIRE AT THE END OF JANUARY, 1980.

ONE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FOR EXPORT RESTRAINT ON WOOLLEN SHIRTS AND BLOUSES, AND A SECOND CONSISTS OF AN EXPORT AUTHORISATION ARRANGEMENT COVERING 16 ITEMS.

NEW RULES FOR MAILING ARTICLES TO CHINA

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THE POST OFFICE TODAY (FRIDAY) ANNOUNCED THAT CERTAIN CHANGES IN RULES GOVERNING THE MAILING OF ARTICLES BY HONG KONG RESIDENTS TO THEIR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES IN CHINA HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE CHINESE CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE POST OFFICE SAID FROM NOW ON ARTICLES SENT BY POST TO CHINA MUST BE FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY, AND THE VALUE OF EACH POSTAL PACKAGE SHOULD NOT EXCEED 30 JMP NOR THE TOTAL VALUE OF ARTICLES SENT ANNUALLY TO ANY ONE FAMILY EXCEED 300 JMP.

ALL ARTICLES ARE SUBJECT TO CUSTOMS DUTY WHICH WILL BE ASSESSED ON THE PREVAILING VALUE IN CHINA,

CHANGES HAVE ALSO BEEN MADE TO THE RESTRICTIONS IN THE QUANTITIES OR VALUES OF POSTAL ARTICLES. IN PARTICULAR, THE MAXIMUM LENGTH OF CLOTH WHICH MAY BE SENT HAS BEEN INCREASED FROM THREE METRES TO FIVE METRES AND THE MAXIMUM VALUE OF MEDICINE IS 20 JMP. IN ADDITION THREE CASSETTE TAPES, 50 STAMPS FOR PHILATELIC PURPOSES AND ONE SMALL ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR MAY ALSO BE SENT EACH YEAR.

HOWEVER, COMMODITIES SUCH AS TELEVISION SETS, TAPE RECORDERS, RADIOS, ELECTRIC FANS, USED CLOTHING, WATCHES, CAMERAS AND MANY OTHER ITEMS ARE STILL RESTRICTED TO BE SENT BY POST TO CHINA, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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