XN000022-1984-10-23 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1984

ALTHOUGH THE REGULATIONS HAD BEEN EXPLAINED AS CLARIFYING OR CODIFYING EXISTING ORIGIN RULES, SUBSEQUENT EXPLANATIONS HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY ALSO ACTUALLY CHANGED SOME OF THE RULES.

THIS HELPED TO UNDERLINE ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL TO OBJECTIONS TO THE REGULATIONS. I.E. THAT GOODS WHICH HAD HITHERTO BEEN ACCEPTED AS ORIGINATING IN A COUNTRY AND HENCE ABLE TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES UNDER ITS QUOTA, WOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO DO SO, MR MACLEOD SAID.

MOREOVER, THE DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS WERE TIME-CONSUMING, DIFFICULT TO COMPLY WITH, AND INVOLVED THE DISCLOSURE OF COMMERCIALLY SENSITIVE INFORMATION.

IN THE TEXTILES SECTOR, WHERE TRADE WAS GOVERNED BY THE

IT FRAMEWORK OF THE GATT, THE MFA AND THE BILATERAL AGREEMENTS, WAS CLEAR THAT RULES OF ORIGIN COULD NOT 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.

+ACCORDINGLY, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE ONLY SATISFACTORY SOLUTION WAS FOR THESE REGULATIONS TO BE RESCINDED,+ MR MACLEOD SAID.

IN A RELATED DEVELOPMENT, A TRADE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN IN HONG KONG ANNOUNCED TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT MR MACLEOD AND HIS DEPUTY, MR DONALD TSANG, WOULD GO TO WASHINGTON FROM GENEVA TO RESUME BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES ON OCTOBER 29 AND 30.

THIS WAS ANOTHER STEP BY HONG KONG TO PRESS FOR THE RULES TO BE WITHDRAWN, HE SAID,

AFTER THE TALKS IN WASHINGTON, MR MACLEOD AND MR TSANG WILL RETURN TO HONG KONG.

LADY YOUDE PRAISES 'DEDICATED WORKERS'

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PEOPLE WHOSE WORK IS CARING FOR THE ELDERLY AND INFIRM WERE PRAISED TODAY BY LADY YOUDE, WIFE OF THE GOVERNOR, FOR THEIR PATIENCE AND DEDICATION.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE AGED'S BRADBURY AND QUAN CHUEN HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY, LADY YOUDE SAID, +LOOKING AFTER THE ELDERLY AND INFIRM IS NOT ALWAYS AN EASY TASK.+

THE NEW BUILDINGS OF THE SOCIETY NOW HOUSE THE LARGEST CARE AND ATTENTION HOMES IN HONG KONG, SHE SAID.

/+TIE THO