TNAG-0046-FCO40-82-Britain-s-entry-into-EEC-effect-on-trade-with-Hong-Kong-1967 — Page 168

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COMMONWEALTH OFFICE,

DOWNING STREET, S.W.*.

4 August, 1967.

You will remember that, at the end of our consultations with you on E.E.C. matters in early July, it was agreed that a further round of talks should be held after an interval of about two months. It would be helpful if you could let us have some preliminary indication of what dates would suit you, and of the likely composition of the Hong Kong Delegation. I see from recent telegraphic correspondence that you are likely to be sending some people to Faris for talks on textiles in late September or early October, and you may wish to combine the two occasions,

2. So far as we are concerned, the second half of September would not in fact be very convenient. Sir A. Snelling is planning to go with the British Delegation to the meeting of Commonwealth Finance Ministers in Trinidad beginning on 18 September. After that he will probably be accompanying Mr Whitlock, the Parliamentary Under Secretary, on a visit to a number of Caribbean Commonwealth countries and independent territories. He is not therefore likely to be back in London until about the second week in October.

3.

You may recall that, during the last round of consultationsy, we asked whether you could let us have a more considered assesument of how you think the application of the common external tariff would bear on different categories of Hong Kong's textiles exports to this country. If this assessment should be available before the talks begin, it would be helpful for us if we could have a copy in advance.

C. P. Paddon-Cave, Esq.,

(C. J. Audland) Common Market Department

Deputy Director of Commerce & Industry,

Copies to:

Hong Kong.

Mr Gallagher.

Mr W. S. Catter,

9.

Mr P.C.. Kedgwick.

Mr. W.5. Chuter

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ARG

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