XN000022-1983-07-21 — Page 4

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1983

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ACCORD REACHED ON SOME TEXTILE EXPORTS TO U.S.

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THE TRADE DEPARTMENT TODAY (THURSDAY) ANNOUNCED THAT RESTRAINT LIMITS FOR HONG KONG EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES OF COTTON SHEETING, COTTON UNDERWEAR, AND WOMEN'S MMF SUITS - AT LEVELS CONSIDERABLY ABOVE THE 1982 TRADE LEVELS - HAVE BEEN AGREED FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS IN WASHINGTON ON JULY 14-15.

THE AGREED LIMITS FOR 1983 ARE:-

CATEGORY

RESTRAINT LIMIT

1982 EXPORTS

313 (COTTON SHEETING)

352 (COTTON UNDERWEAR)

50 288 529 SYD

36 790 863 SYD

4 450 000 DZN

3 874 938 DZN

644 (MMF SUITS, W, G AND I)

25 000 DZN

11 540 DZN

+HOWEVER, HONG KONG DOES NOT AGREE THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS AN ACCEPTABLE CASE FOR IMPOSING RESTRAINT ON MMF NON-CELLULOSIC

THE YARN (CATEGORY 604),+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID. UNITED STATES ADMINISTRATION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BILATERAL AGREEMENT, IMPOSED ON THIS CATEGORY A RESTRAINT LIMIT OF 342 455 LB. FOR 1983. THIS LIMIT, REPRESENTING 115 PER CENT OF 1982 EXPORTS, IS THE MINIMUM ENTITLEMENT STIPULATED IN THE BILATERAL AGREEMENT.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT EXPORTS IN THESE FOUR CATEGORIES ARE AT PRESENT SUBJECT TO THE EXPORT AUTHORISATION SYSTEM, UNDER WHICH THERE IS NO SPECIFIC RESTRAINT LIMIT, BUT THE LEVEL OF EXPORTS IS MONITORED AND THE UNITED STATES MAY AT ANY TIME SEEK CONSULTATIONS WITH A VIEW TO REACHING AGREEMENT ON A LEVEL OF RESTRAINT IN THE CURRENT YEAR.

+THOSE WHO ALREADY HOLD APPROVED EXPORT AUTHORISATIONS IN THESE CATEGORIES WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE NEW RESTRAINT LEVELS. HOWEVER, THE RESTRAINT WILL LIMIT THE SCOPE FOR NEW ORDERS TO COME TO HONG KONG DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

CALLS HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE UNITED STATES ON TEN EXPORT AUTHORISATION (EA) CATEGORIES SO FAR THIS YEAR. SIX OF THEM WERE COVERED BY AN EARLIER ROUND OF CONSULTATIONS IN WASHINGTON AT THE END OF JUNE, FOLLOWING WHICH RESTRAINT LIMITS WERE AGREED IN RESPECT OF THREE CATEGORIES AND THE UNITED STATES IMPOSED LIMITS ON THE OTHER THREE CATEGORIES.

FOLLOWING THE WASHINGTON CONSULTATIONS, THE LEADER OF THE HONG KONG TEAM, MR MICHAEL CARTLAND, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF TRADE, PROCEEDED TO GENEVA TO DELIVER A STATEMENT TO THE TEXTILES SURVEILLANCE BODY (TSB).