CONFIDENTIAL
TO:
163
CYPHER/CAT A
ROUTINE WASHINGTON
TO FOREIGN AND COMMON.EALTH OFFICE'
WASHINGTON TELNO 75 TO HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL. [NEUTRAL]
4 DECEMBER 1969
ADDRESSED TO HONGKONG TEL NO 75 OF 4/12 REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO FCO AND UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JONES).
FROM HERMANN.
PREFERENCES.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SPANISH EMBASSY HAVE MADE AN OFFICIAL APPROACH TO U.S. GOVERNMENT TO INCLUDE SPAIN AMONG BENEFICIARIES OF ANY PREFERENCES GRANTED TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
2. THIS SUGGESTS TO ME THAT THOUGH U.S. OFFICIALS DEALING WITH THIS ARE AWARE OF HONGKONG'S GENERAL POSITION, IT MIGHT BE WORTH WHILE (NOW THAT THE OUTLINE OF THE AMERICAN SCHEME HAS BEEN DECIDED BUT POLICY ON BENEFICIARIES NOT FINALIZED), GOING ON RECORD WITH. HONG KONG'S CLAIM TO DEVELOPING STATUS AND ARGUMENTS AGAINST EXCLUSION ON THE GROUND OF COMPETITIVENESS. IF YOU AGREE PERHAPS YOU WOULD CARE TO PROVIDE TEXT OR MATERIAL FOR AN AIDE-MEMOIRE.
3.
ONE AIM WOULD BE TO COUNTER WITH APPROPRIATE FIGURES AN AMER- ICAN TENDENCY TO BELIEVE THAT HONGKONG HAS LITTLE TO WORRY ABOUT PROVIDED TEXTILES AND FOOTWEAR ARE EXCLUDED FROM ANY SCHEME. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO QUANTIFY, HOWEVER APPROXIMATELY, THE AMOUNT OF BUSINESS IN OTHER GOODS THAT MIGHT BE LOST TO CLOSE COMPETITORS IF THEY WERE GIVEN PREFERENTIAL TARIFF TREATMENT WHILE HONG KONG WAS NOT? A LIST OF MAJOR NON-TEXTILE ITEMS IN WHICH OTHER UNDISPUTEDLY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WERE ALREADY COMPETING FAVOURABLE WITH HONGKONG MIGHT MAKE A TELLING POINT.
FCO PASS HONGKONG AND UK MISSION GENEVA.
MR FREEMAN.
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED?
INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION
EX. PROM. D.
AMER. D.
TR. POL. D. H.K.D.
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.51 CDEC 1969
MILK 12
CONFIDENTIAL
LAST
REF.
NEXT
KEF.
(166
1661
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.