TNAG-0149-FCO40-185-Cotton-textiles-to-France-1969 — Page 62

0003230

G.F23

CONFIDENTIAL

SAVING DISP.....CH

36

MIK

16271

from the Covernor, Hong Kong

To the ecretary of state for Foreign : Common realth Affairs

epeated to:-

Jate

Faris (for Wilcox)

Jeneva (for Jones)

Brussels (for Purves)

acidN AND COMMUNW°ALTH O

14 APR 1969

Hon Kong Government Dondon

10th April, 1969

y Reference CR.6/5361/55-IV

No.

faellers)

ICATIONS DEPARTMENT

OFFI

FICE

438

M48

.M.4.9

.M50

..MS.!

LAST

REF.

NEXT

13

13

REF.

46

French Trade Talks

I am most grateful for the support given in your Saving Despatch No.84 and for the provision of useful information by all concerned for our informal trade talks with the French which were held in Hong Kong on 11th and 12th arch.

2.

The French delegation was led by iir. C. Collin of the Ministry of the conomy and Finance supported by ir. Joutard of the Linistry of Industry and Mr. . Beguin, Trade Commissioner in Hong -Lon". The Hong Kong, team was led by lir. .. Jordan, Deputy Director (Commercial Relations), of the Commerce and Industry Department.

3.

(a)

These talks were divided into two parts in respect of

products to which the Cotton Textiles Arrangement was applicable; and

(b) products other than cotton textiles.

Cotton textile products

Í RECEIVED IN

ARCHIVES No.31 14 APR 1969

HKK6/21/

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

Tiv)

(v)

Jordan opened with the folloving points

the present French restrictions, and the steps taken by France since 1962, could hardly be considered to be within the spirit of .rticle 2 of the C.T.A. and in particular of paragraph 1 thereof;

the French licensing system further militated against the utilisation of the small quotas available;

the arrange lents in existence covered a very vide range of articles, including items for which there had been no trade, notwithstanding the fact that there

as still hardly any trade in items that had been liberalised;

-

between 1966 and 1968 Hong Kong had doubled its imports of cotton piecegoods from France to 2 million in 1960, as against exports of only 350,000 the other way this demonstrated that its ability to export to long long had far more effect on the French industry than had the level of imports from Hong Kong;

-

long long was opposed to restrictions not aimed at cure or prevention of market disruption, but at prevention of trade.

CONFIDENTIAL

Collin