TNAG-0149-FCO40-185-Cotton-textiles-to-France-1969 — Page 159

CONFIDENTIAL

GR/BIG.224/2/111

II

9

FFR 1967

T.L.A.B.-Inf/12/67- e.c. 12/371CD 12/88120

MEMORANDUM FOR THE TRADE AND INDUSTRY ADVISORY BOARD

Trade Talks with France on Quotas for 1967.

(Annual trade talks between representatives

of the French and Hong Kong Governments took place in

Paris on 5th and 6th January, 1967. This paper

contains a summary of proceedings and lists of quotas

for 1967 allocated to Hong Kong by the French

Government.)

Introduction

3....

At the November 1966 meeting of the Board, Members noted that the Hong Kong Government intended to hold talks on the 1967 quotas early as possible in the New Year and advised that an Aide Memoire (enclosure 1 to T.I.A.B. M/47/66 suitably amended) be sent to the French Government outlining the basis for discussion and, in particular, suggesting item-by-item arguments for liberalisation or at least substantially increased quota. On 6th December 1966 the British Embassy in Paris forwarded the Aide Memoire to the French Government who agreed that the talks should take place in Paris on 5th and 6th January, 1967.

The Talks

2.

Hong Kong was represented by Mr. Haddon-Cave, Deputy Director, Commerce and Industry Department and Mr. Martin, Assistant Director in charge of the Department's Brussels Office. The French Government) were_represented by officials from the Ministries of Economy, Industry and Foreign Affairs. The Second Secretary (Commercial), British Embassy, Paris was present throughout.

3.

The French officials tried to prove statistically that Hong Kong's trade with France was expanding, that the trade defioit was being reduced (forgetting the role of the one item key-rings in last year's advance in exports) and that items still on the negative list were quantitatively insignificant thus ignoring their potential should they be liberalised.

4.

Mr. Haddon-Cave began with the usual courtesies and then went on to make the following pointe

(a) it was advantageous to hold the talka early in

the year for Hong Kong wished to move to a position whereby quotas for the year were allocated and shippad within the year (c.f. paragraph 6 of the draft Aide Memoire et enclosure 1 of T.I.A.B.

•W/47/66);--

SAN BAR

(b)* 1968 was a somemat pedilter year in that the

invitation to importers to tender for fosnoes was not published until 11th July and the last quotas were not issued until god Déodstír. for this reason, Hong Kong could digmas 1967

thdo

aoci,

quotas agginst

known

of enota