TNAG-0047-FCO40-83-Britain-s-entry-into-EEC-effect-on-trade-with-Hong-Kong-1967 — Page 9

Page

Page

With 68 and bey

HWB 6/18

Reference..

Sammclined

ammclined to

I agree. of H.K. produce,

My Carter

U.K. /EEC : Draft Negotiating Brief on H.K.

You asked for my views on the draft breet. These are green below and I would be glad to discuss at your convémence.

2.

we should await

I had thought at first that before the boret was finalised, Hong Kong's futher argumente in favour of a

change of state "criterion for Commonwealth preferences (instead of % Commonwealth Content) from the beginning of the transitional peirod... On reflection, however, I do not think this

necessary.

The B.O.T. is right in thinking change would involve comp administrative arrangements and to do so for

a short period would be impracticabile; moreover it would be contrary to the whole idea of preferences for commonwealth goods if the

new criterion enabled H.K to use less Commonwealth content. I fed sure U.K. Goot

ú

the

lox

on this in the negdiations will not agree to change the basis, and therefore

a Good case whey we Shined Fake some action/ we can frem for a Supplementary brief.

نیاں

The remedy seem to

If in action vis-a-vis

GATT (see paiûb of record of Second Sersion

·663). Accordingly

inbir

roblem

has no place

in the EEC brief,

except perhaps a shad-

3.

I don't think the negotiating boiet need refer to it.

Selwyn's point about a reference to Hong Kong's GATT right is covered, I Units, by the

para

11 of the draft briet for that the consequence of Hong Kong's

mentión ui

representations in the G.A.IT " were discussed.

real worry for H.K., but

This is

a

Wiese

is nothing the British negotiators can do for H.K and it really is a bilateral matter between HK the U.K. Perhaps to emplase H.K's

BH.

on the lines you concem, the words "about which they were fref.

propose lon

particularly apprehensive "could be added to

the phorase quoted from para 11 above.

나.

it. The only other important omission

from are briet, to my mind, is any

reference to keeping H.K. informed of the

progress of the negotiations and consulting on matters affecting them. Perhaps this

P.T.O

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