TNAG-0140-FCO40-176-Effect-of-EEC-common-commercial-policy-on-Hong-Kong-exports-1969 — Page 56

(118281) Dd. 391599 1,500M 2/69 Hw.

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

Registry No. HKK 6/24

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret.

Secret.

Confidential.

Restricted.

Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

..In Confidence

DRAFT

LETTER

Type 1 +

30/10

To:-

D. I. Dunnett, Esq., CMG.,

Board of Trade,

OBE.,

Victoria Street, S.W.1.

From

Telephone No. & Ext.

Department

Copies toy

J. Ingram

(CRE BOT)

R.G. Britten,

TPP

J.A. Robinson,

Europeah Integration Dept.

EEC Common Commercial Policy:

Hong Kong

As of course you know, the Commission have

evolving recently taken a further step in the direction of, an

EEC common commercial policy by tabling with the

Council proposals for dealing with the imprбtation of

a number of items of relevance to Hong Kong's trade

K.C. Christofas, with the Community. These proposals involve the

UKDEL, Brussels

imposition of annual import quotas of 2.5 million units

for umbrellas and parasols and of 7.353 million pairs for canvas shoes on Hong Kong's trade in there items.

2. These quantitative restrictions (fixed at

approximately the 1968 level of Hong Kong's trade with

the Community) are to be imposed because France, and

France alone, has maintained quotas against Hong Kong.

They appear to infringe Hong Kong's rights under

Article 11 of the GATT, General Elimination of

Quantitative Restrictions.

Flags A+ B

3.

You will have seen my reply to Kenneth Christofas' of 10" September letter (both have been copied to you) on which I said

that we would be discussing with you what action we

might take on behalf of Hong Kong and recording the

broad conclusions we have reached in this Office.

In the first place we are clear that subject to Hong

Kong's own views we ought to register some protest.

If we do not make representations on these items there

/ is a

...