TNAG-0044-FCO40-80-Exports-to-the-Benelux-countries-aide-memoires-1967 — Page 228

COMMITTE

Abbey 7877

Ext. 2345

COUNCIL FOR TRADE

BOARD OF TRADE

1 VICTORIA STREET

LONDON S.W.1

14

17th May, 1967

Dear Gaminari,

As I told you over the telephone, representatives of the Dutch and Belgian Embassies called on me urgently to-day and delivered the attached Aide Memoire. I think that you will find the terms identical, one being from the Dutch and one from the Belgians; the Belgian note is the only one with figures attached. I was told that the Luxembourg Embassy would also have presented a copy of the note had their representative been available this afternoon.

2. We pointed out to the representatives that the quantities imported were small by our standards and also that the Benelux industries were probably suffering more from general market conditions than from the imports from Hong Kong. I think that the representatives might have admitted, off the record, that there was something in this, but they did point out that factories were closing down at a rapid rate. Anyway, they were clearly acting merely as Post Offices and did not know the background in any detail.

3. I said that we would accept delivery of the notice and pass it on to you. I added that, whatever the dangers of forestalling, it seemed to me very drastic to serve notice one day and impose restrictions the next (I was told by the Dutch representative that this was the intention). It was possible, therefore, that if you could assure yourselves that Hong Kong would be ready to enter into consultations in the next few days, you would wish to ask the Benelux Governments to postpone the imposition of restrictions pending the consultations.

Clearly,

if you think that this should be done it would have to be done very quickly.

4.

Similar representations were made to us in December 1965 about imports of shirts from Hong Kong. On that occasion, it was suggested that consultations should take place between the Benelux Consul-General in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Government, but Heddon-Cave happened to be about to come to Europe at that time and it was finally agreed, I believe, that he should discuss the situation in the Benelux capitals.

if you

5. I shall be tied up for the rest of the afternoon need to contact anyone here urgently, perhaps you could speak to Shaun Stewart in IM3, who is the Assistant Secretary in Production Division in charge of cotton textiles and who was present at the meeting.

LABŤ

p:;,

Yours sincerely,

18

(E.L.Phillips)

Mr. Gaminarů,

Commonwealth Office,

Great Smith Street, S.W.1.