XN000022-1989-12-02 — Page 4

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1989

BETTER ACCESS FOR TEXTILE EXPORTS

HONG KONG AND AUSTRIA HAVE JUST CONCLUDED A THREE-YEAR TEXTILES AGREEMENT ΤΟ REPLACE THE CURRENT ONE WHICH EXPIRES ON JANUARY 31 NEXT YEAR.

THE NEW AGREEMENT, COVERING FOUR QUOTA ITEMS AND EIGHT EXPORT AUTHORISATION (RA) CATEGORIES, REPRESENTS AN IMPROVEMENT OVER THE EXISTING ONE IN TERMS OF PRODUCT COVERAGE AND GROWTH RATE.

UNDER THE NEW BILATERAL AGREEMENT, THE EXISTING QUOTA ITEM ON WOVEN DRESSES OF COTTON AND MAN-MADE FIBRE AND WOVEN SKIRTS OF COTTON WILL BE DERESTRAINED AND BROOMK AN ITEM UNDER KA SURVEILLANCE. SIX CATEGORIES OF TEXTILE PRODUCTS CURRENTLY ON THE LIST UNDER BA WILI. ALSO BE REMOVED.

THE EXISTING AGREEMENT COMPRISES FIVE QUOTA ITEMS AND 14 CATEGORIES OF PRODUCTS UNDER THE EA ARRANGEMENTS.

THE NEW AGREEMENT WAS CONSULTATIONS IN VIENNA.

CONCLUDED AFTER FOUR DAYS

OF

THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WAS LED BY MR STUART HARBINSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE. THE AUSTRIAN DELEGATION WAS LED BY MR JOSEF MAYER, DIRECTOR, MULTILATERAL TRADE POLICY DIVISION, FEDERAL MINISTRY FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS,

DERESTRIAN

IN ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT, SWEDEN HAS AGREED TO SHIRTS FROM HONG KONG WITH EFFECT FROM JANUARY 1, 1990 AND UNDER KA SURVEILLANCE INSTEAD.

A

ידיו

WOVEN THESE

THE DECISION WAS REACHED POLLOWING

THREE-DAY CONSULTATION HELD IN HONG KONG THIS WEEK DURING WHICH IT WAS ALSO AGREED TO MERGE THE QUOTA ITEM ON KNITTED DRESSES WITH THAT FOR SWEATERS, PULLOVERS CARDIGANS AND SO ON.

THE HONG KONG DELEGATION FOR THE CONSULTATION WAS LED BY MR MICHAEL SZE, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE. THE SWEDISH DELEGATION WAS HEADED BY AMBASSADOR STANISLAW PATEK PROM THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

MR SZK DESCRIBED THE SWFDISH GOVERNMENT'S DECISION ΤΟ DERESTRAIN WOVEN SHIRTS AS A WELCOME MOVE AS THIS WOULD PUT EXPORTS OF THIS ITEM FROM HONG KONG TO SWEDEN ON AN EQUAL FOOTING WITH OTHER SUPPLIERS.

"THIS 18 ALSO IN KEEPING WITH SWEDEN'S MOVE TOWARDS LIBERALISATION IN THE TRADE IN TEXTILES, HE ADDED.

OF TEXTILES AND PRESENT EXTENSION SWEDISH RESTRAINT

THE SWEDISH GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED LAST DECEMBER ITS INTENTION TO ABOLISH ALL QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS ON IMPORTS CLOTHING INTO SWEDEN AFTER JULY 31, 1991, WHEN THE OF THE MULTI-FIBRE AGREEMENT EXPIRES. HOWEVER, THE SYSTEM WILL REMAIN IN OPERATION UNTIL THEN.

/THE CURRENT