TNAG-0044-FCO40-80-Exports-to-the-Benelux-countries-aide-memoires-1967 — Page 216

AIDE MEMOIRE

18B

Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs

presents his compliments to the Belgian Ambassador and with reference.

to the Aide Memoire dated the 17th May, 1967, on the subject of the

import into Benelux countries of certain classes of textiles from

Hong Kong, has the honour to state that the Hong Kong authorities:

(1) accept the request for consultations under Article 3 of the

long term arrangement regarding international trade in

cotton textiles of the 1st October, 1962;

(2) will enter into consultations as soon as the Aide Memoire

has been received and studied in Hong Kong;

(3) will, as usual, negotiate directly with the Benelux

Governments and would welcome a Benelux negotiating team

in Hong Kong in the immediate future;

(4) question the need for the imposition of import restrictions.

prior to the consultations and would point out that the

situation envisaged, under paragraph 2 of Article 3, should

not arise provided that the Benelux Governments keep their

requests for consultations confidential, as the shipping

time to Rotterdam is approximately 30 days by which time

the consultations should have begun;

(5) in the circumstances hope that the Benelux Governments

will agree to lift the restrictions at least until the consultations have taken place.

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE,

19th May, 1967.