XN000022-1984-10-18 — Page 15

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18,

MOPE VIEWS ON WHITE PAPER

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SOUTHERN DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS WILL DISCUSS THE WHITE PAPE‹ ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE AT TOMORROW'S (FRIDAY) MEETING.

ONE OF THE MONITORS OF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE, MR JUSTICE S LI WILL ATTEND THE MEETING TO HEAR VIEWS FROM BOARD MEMBERS. THE DEPUTY REGIONAL SECRETARY, HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR ALBERT LAM WILL ALSO BE PRESENT AT THE MEETING.

PROGRESS REPORTS ON DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SEMINARS RECENT. ORGANISED WITH THE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS OF THE DISTRICT WILL BE SUBMITTED AT THE MEETING.

ALSO TABLED FOR DISCUSSION WILL BE THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR MINOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROJECTS.

HK CONTINUES FIGHT AGAINST U.S. ORIGIN RULES

圖五蓋

HONG KONG'S DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, IN THE GATT'S TEXTILES COMMITTEE MEETING IN GENEVA ON WEDNESDAY

(OCTOBER 17) REFERRED TO THE WIDESPREAD AND GENUINE CONCERN ABOUT THE NEW AMERICAN RULES OF ORIGIN EXPRESSED IN THE SEPTEMBER MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE.

HE POINTED OUT THAT FOLLOWING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RULES, IT WAS BECOMING INCREASINGLY APPARENT THAT THE IR COMPLEXITY AND AMBIGUITY MADE THEM EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND FOR EXPORTERS, IMPORTERS, AND FOR U.S. OFFICIALS THEMSELVES.

+PARTLY BECAUSE OF THIS UNCERTAINTY, ORDERS HAVE BEEN HELD UP OR CANCELLED THIS IS BUT ONE EXAMPLE OF THE WAY IN WHICH THE REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN A HARASSMENT OF LEGITIMATE TRADE, HE SAID.

IN THE TEXTILES SECTOR, WHERE TRADE WAS GOVERNED BY THE FRAMEWORK OF THE GATT, THE MFA AND THE BILATERAL AGREEMENT, +IT IS CLEAR THAT THE RULES OF ORIGIN CANNOT BE UNILATERALLY CHANGED AS A PROTECTIVE MEASURE BY ONE PARTY, SO SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGING THE FRAMEWORK OF RULES GOVERNING THE TEXTILES TRADE, AND IN SOME CASES RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL TRADE LOSS BY OTHER PARTIES, + HE SAID.

+ACCORDINGLY, IT IS MORE THAN EVER CLEAR THAT THE ONLY SATISFACTORY SOLUTION IS FOR THESE REGULATIONS TO BE RESCINDED.. HE SAID.

/+1 STILL