XN000022-1984-08-09 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1984

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE INITIAL DISCUSSIONS IS TO SEEK

CLAR IF ICATION ON THE INTENDED APPLICATION OF THE PROPOSED RULES AND TO CLARIFY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S POSITION AS REGARDS THE RELEVANCE OF THE RULES TO HONG KONG UNDER THE BILATERAL TEXTILES AGREEMENT.

IN ANNOUNCING THIS, A TRADE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN REAFFIRMED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S STAND THAT THE PROPOSED RULES WERE 1N BREACH OF THE BILATERAL AGREEMENT AND WERE CLEARLY UNACCEPTABLE.

HE SAID: THE RULES ALSO VIOLATE THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE (GATT) AND CONFLICT WITH THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT (MFA).

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE TEXTILES ADVISORY BOARD (TEXTAB) WAS FULLY APPRAISED OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AT ITS MEETING THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON.

'HOT' LINES SET UP FOR TEXTILES TRADERS

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THE TRADE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAD ALLOCATED THREE TELEPHONE +HOT+ LINES TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS WHICH HONG KONG'S TEXTILES TRADE ARE EXPERIENCING FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER OF NEW UNITED STATES RULES OF ORIGIN ON TEXTILE IMPORTS. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE FOLLOWING A TEXTILE ADVISORY BOARD MEETING THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON.

THE NUMBERS OF THE THREE LINES ARE:

NAME

MR H. M. LAI

MR L. K. W. LAM

MISS A. C. H. LIN

TEL NO

3-7222446

3-7222351

3-7222343

FROM TOMORROW (FRIDAY) THE TELEPHONES WILL BE MANNED BETWEEN 9 AM AND 5 PM MONDAY TO FRIDAY, AND 9 AM AND NOON ON SATURDAYS.

ALL INFORMATION GIVEN TO TRADE OFFICERS MANNING THE +HOT+ LINES WILL BE LOGGED. WRITTEN INFORMATION WILL ALSO BE WELCOMED AND CAN BE SENT TO MISS A.C.H. LIN, TRADE DEPARTMENT, 15TH FLOOR, OCEAN CENTRE, 5 CANTON ROAD, KOWLOON.

/ANNOUNCING THE