1
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1981
HONG KONG SEEKS REMOVAL
OF FRENCH IMPORT RESTRICTIONS
*****
A SPOKESMAN OF THE TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT, FOLLOWING THE IMPOSITION BY FRANCE OF RESTRICTIONS ON IMPORTS OF ELECTRONIC QUARTZ WATCHES IN LATE OCTOBER THIS YEAR, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD REVIEWED THE RANGE OF FRENCH QUANTITATIVE IMPORT RESTRICTIONS ON HONG KONG AND DECIDED TO SEEK CONSULTATIONS.
MANY OF THESE QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS HAVE EXISTED FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. DURING THAT PERIOD, TALKS HAVE BEEN HELD ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS TO SEEK TO HAVE THEM REMOVED.
THESE HAD THE EFFECT OF REDUCING THE SCOPE OF SOME OF THE RESTRICTIONS AND THE LIFTING, IN PRACTICE, OF SOME OTHERS. THE RESTRICTIONS REMAINED IN EXISTENCE, HOWEVER, AND COULD BE RE-ACTIVATED BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AT ANY TIME, THIS HAPPENED IN THE CASE OF ELECTRONIC QUARTZ WATCHES IN OCTOBER 1981.
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS DELIVERED A NOTE TO THE EEC COMMISSION ASKING THE COMMISSION, ON BEHALF OF FRANCE, TO AGREE TO PROMPT DISCUSSIONS ON THE REMOVAL OF QUANTITATIVE IMPORT RESTRICTIONS. A SIMILAR NOTE HAS BEEN DELIVERED BY MR PETER TSAO, WHILE ACTING DIRECTOR OF TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, TO THE FRENCH TRADE COMMISSIONER.
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS THAT THESE RESTRICTIONS CONTRAVENE FRANCE'S OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE (GATT).
THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE GATT PROHIBITS QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS EXCEPT UNDER CERTAIN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH IN THIS CASE DO NOT APPLY. THE GATT ALSO REQUIRES THAT QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO ALL SOURCES OF SUPPLY BUT THOSE IMPOSED BY FRANCE DISCRIMINATE ONLY AGAINST HONG KONG.
THE EXISTING NETWORK OF QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS COVERS A TOTAL OF NINE PRODUCTS, COMPRISING SOYA SPROUTS, KNITWEAR OTHER THAN OF COTTON, MAN-MADE FIBRE AND WOOL, CLOTHING OTHER THAN OF COTTON, MAN-MADE FIBRE AND WOOL, UMBRELLAS, WIRELESS RADIO RECEIVERS, PLEASURE AND SPORT BOATS FOR MARINE USE, COMPOUND OPTICAL MICROSCOPES, CERTAIN TOYS, AND ELECTRONIC QUARTZ WATCHES.
HONG KONG EXPORTS OF ELECTRONIC QUARTZ WATCHES TO FRANCE AMOUNTED TO SOME $237 MILLION LAST YEAR, AND THIS WAS
17 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF HONG KONG DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO FRANCE IN 1980.
/2
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.