XN000022-1985-08-07 — Page 38

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1985

A NOTICE IN THE U.S. FEDERAL REGISTER EXPLAINED THE PROPOSA AND ALSO MADE REFERENCE TO MATTERS CONCERNING INSPECTION OF IMPOR.. LABELLING, PACKAGING AND CONTAINERS. FURTHER DETAILS WERE BEING SOUGHT.

+THERE IS NO NEED FOR PEOPLE TO BE UNDULY ALARMED AT THIS STAGE, SAID MR TSANG, THIS PROPOSAL CALLS FOR COMMENTS TO BE MADE BY OCTOBER 1 AND WE WILL BE SPEAKING TO THE TRADE AND CONSIDERING IT FULLY ONCE MORE DETAILS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED TO ENSURE THAT AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE IS MADE,+

THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE STATED: +CUSTOMS RECENTLY PUBLI FINAL REGULATIONS ESTABLISHING CRITERIA TO BE USED BY CUSTOMS OFFICERS IN MAKING COUNTRY OF ORIGIN DETERMINATIONS FOR CERTAIN IMPORTED TEXTILE MERCHANDISE.

+THE CRITERIA ARE BASED ON PREVIOUS COURT DECISIONS AND CUSTOM RULINGS ON A VARIETY OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN ISSUES.

+THESE CRITERIA WILL BE APPLIED IN MAKING COUNTRY OF ORIGIN DETERMINATIONS FOR ALL CUSTOMS PURPOSES, INCLUDING DETERMINATION: FOR PURPOSES OF ASSESSING DUTY ON IMPORTED TEXTILES.

+CUSTOMS IS AWARE THAT UNIFORM AND ESTABLISHED PRACTICES EXIST WHICH RECOGNISE CERTAIN COMMERCIAL PROCESSES AND ASSEMBLY OPERATIONS PERFORMED ON TEXTILES AS BEING DETERMINATIVE OF ORIGIN AND THAT THESE PRACTICES ARE INCONSISTENT WITH THE PUBLISHED ORIGIN CRITERIA.

+ACCORDINGLY, CUSTOMS PROPOSES TO CHANGE THE ESTABLISHED AND UNIFORM PRACTICES THAT ARE IN CONFLICT WITH THE NEW CRITERIA. BECAUSE THESE CHANGES OF PRACTICE, IF ADOPTED, MAY RESULT IN HIG RATES OF DUTY BEING ASSESSED, THIS NOTICE INVITES PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THEM BEFORE ANY CHANGE IS MADE.+

DB TO COLLECT VIEWS ON HOUSING GREEN PAPER

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A COMPREHENSIVE CONSULTATION EXERCISE WILL BE LAUNCHED BY AN AD HOC WORKING GROUP OF THE SHAM SHUI PO DISTRICT BOARD TO COLLECT RESIDENTS' VIEWS ON THE GREEN PAPER ON THE REVIEW OF SUBSIDIES TO PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS.

AT A RECENT MEETING, MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP DECIDED TO ISSUE A LEAFLET WHICH SUMMARISED THE MAIN POINTS OF THE GREEN PAPER AS A BACKGROUND REFERENCE FOR DISTRIBUTION TO DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY.

THIS WOULD