where the mean bin an monitors. 100 Houstons
CYPHER/CAT A
ROUTINE OTTAWA
RESTRICTED
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
OTTAWA TELEGRAM NO.14 TO HONG KONG OF 11 MARCH, 1969
RESTRICTED [NEUTRAL]
の
ADDSD TO HONG KONG TELNO. 14 OF 11 MARCH 1969 RFI F C O AND COPY UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JONES).
FROM GRAY.
YOUR TELNO.M72 : VALUATION FOR DUTY OF CLOTHING.
I THOUGHT IT BEST BEFORE MAKING ANY FORMAL REPRESENTATION TO FIND OUT, AT WORKING LEVEL, WHAT LAY BEHIND THE CANADIAN CUSTOMS ACTION.
2. OFFICIALS AT THE DEPTS OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL REVENUE SAY THIS ACTION FOLLOWED A LARGE SCALE INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED BY D.N.R. THROUGH THEIR TOKYO OFFICE INTO THE FAIR MARKET VALUES QUOETED BY HONG KONG CLOTHING MANUFACTURERS. THE OFFICIAL LINE IS THAT THE INVESTIGATION WAS A ROUTINE ONE SIMILAR TO OTHERS CARRIED OUT PERIODICALLY INTO VARIOUS CLASSES OF GOODS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. EUT WE BELIEVE THIS PARTICULAR INVESTIGATION WAS PRECIPITATED BY COMPLAINTS FROM THE CANADIAN TEXTILE MANUFACTURERS WHO HAVE, AS YOU WILL KNOW, SOUGHT A GLOBAL QUOTA ON IMPORTS FROM LOW-COST COUNTRIES.
3. AS REGARDS YOUR REQUEST FOR A STAY OF EXECUTION, D.N.R. SAY THEY HAVE NO POWER TO GRANT A LICENCE TO CONTINUE TO COMMIT SIN. THEY SAY THEIR ACTION WAS BASED ON A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION AND THAT, ON THE FACTS REVEALED, THE LAW GIVES THEM NO OPTION BUT TO ACT AS THEY HAVE DONE. THE ONLY CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THEY WOULD BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER DEFERRING THEIR INSTRUCTIONS WOULD BE IF YOU WERE TO SUBMIT THAT THE EVIDENCE GIVEN TO THEIR INVEST- IGATORS BY THE HONG KONG COMPANIES AND ON WHICH THEY BASED THEIR ACTIONS WAS NOT RELEVANT OR EVEN WRONG, OR IF THE CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE MATERIALLY CHANGED SINCE THE INVESTIGATION WAS MADE. IF YOU WISH US TO APPROACH THEM ON THESE GROUNDS WE SHALL NEED TO BE ARMED WITH DETAILS AND TO KNOW WHICH ARE THE COMPANIES INVOLVED: GENERALISED PLEASE ARE UNLIKELY TO BE EFFECTIVE.
4.
D.N.R. DECLINED TO COMMENT ON WHETHER REPRESENTATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE BY ANY LARGE DEPARTMENT STORE.
FCO PSE PASS TO HONG KONG AND UKMIS GENEVA BOTH ROUTINE.
SIR C CROWE
INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION
H.K.D.
N.A.C.D.
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
TR. POL. DEPT. COMMODITIES DEPT.
LAST
REF.
4
6
RESTRICTED
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVIN $6.31
12 MAR 1969
HKK6/201/1
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