TNAG-0160-FCO40-196-Exports-of-textiles-to-Norway-1969 — Page 34

CYPHER/CAT A

PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NO. 771

CONFIDENTIAL

TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

30 SEPTEMBER 1969

幻

CONFIDENTIAL NEUTRAL ADDRESSED FCO TELEGRAM NO.771 RFI OSLO.

MY TELEGRAM 763 : NORWEGIAN TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS.

HAVING NOW CONSIDERED DELEGATION'S FURTHER REPORT I HAVE DECIDED TO

ACCEPT THE PACKAGE SET OUT IN OSLO TELEGRAM 4.

2. KNITWEAR. ALTHOUGH EXPORTS OF WOMEN'S AND GIRLS' KNITWEAR WILL

ONLY JUST REACH THE RESTRAINT LIMIT BY 33 SEPTEMBER, THIS IS NOT, IN

NO

THIS CASE, ANY INDICATION THAT RESTRAINT IS NO LONGER NECESSARY,

SINCE EXCESS DEMAND WAS BEING MET BY SHIPPING AS MEN'S AND BOYS'.

REMOVAL OF WOMEN'S AND GIRLS' RESTRAINT WOULD THEREFORE BE ALMOST

CERTAIN TO RESULT IN HEAVILY INCREASED SHIPMENTS. SO FAR AS MEN'S

AND BOYS' ARE CONCERNED, HO HAS INFORMED US THAT IN LATER SESSIONS

NORWEGIANS STRONGLY PRESSED SUBSTITUTION/CIRCUMVENTION ARGUMENT,

WHICH WE ARE IN NO POSITION TO DENY. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE

DELEGATION HAS DONE WELL TO HAVE CONCEDED E.A. ONLY ON MEN'S

ACRYLIC. THE COMBINED LEVEL OF 90,000 DOZEN FOR THE THREE RESTRAINED

ITEMS, BASED ON EXISTING LIMIT AND GROWTH AND ROLLBACK FOR NEW ITEM,

IS ACCEPTABLE.

3. BLOUSES. (TRANSFERRED FROM RESTRAINT TO E.A. SCHEME). ALTHOUGH

IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG HAVE DECLINED WE REMAIN THE DOMINANT

SUPPLIER.

4. SUITS AND JACKETS. UP TO A LATE STAGE THE NORWEGIANS MAINTAINED

THEIR REQUEST FOR RESTRAINT ON JACKETS. E.A.S ARE JUSTIFIED BY

CONTINUING RAPID GROWTH.

RECEIVED IN

REGISTRY No.51

-1 OCT 1969

| HKK6/394/1

13

ST

/5. SLACKS

49)+(59)

CONFIDENTIAL