TNAG-0166-FCO40-202-Exports-to-Benelux-countries-1969 — Page 116

احت

CYPHER CAT/A

PRIGRITY BRUSSELS

CONFIDENTIAL

TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TOP COPY

PRIORITY BRUSSELS TELEGRAM NO. 42 TO HONG KONG

6 NOVEMBER 1968

нк

CONFIDENTIAL

[NEUTRAL]

ADDRESSED TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO.42 OF 6 NOVEMBER.

FOLLOWING FROM DODGE.

COTTON TEXTILES TO THE DENELUX.

KOOPS HAS ADVISED ME THAT INCREASING THIRD-COUNTRY IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG HAVE CONVINCED THE BENELUX AUTHORITIES THAT THEY MUST TAKE ACTION THEIR END TO SEAL OFF THIS TRADE, HE REFERRED TO THE DISCUSSION Oil THIS DURING THE JUNE 1968 NEGOTIATIONS AND TO THE BEVELUX POWERS IN THE CONFIDENTIAL PROTOCOL, PRESUMALLY THE SECOND SENTENCE OF CLAUSE 3. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE BENELUX INTEND TO GET ROUND THEIR JURIDICAL DIFFICULTIES AND ISSUE IMPORT LICENCES ONLY AGAINST HONG KONG EXPORT LICENCES INDICATING THAT THE SHIPVENTS HAVE BEEN DEBITED TO QUOTA,

2. KOOPS' WORD TO ME ARE NATURALLY HOT, REPEAT NOT, THE FORMAL COMMUNICATION, WHICH I UNDERSTAND WILL COME TO YOU THROUGH THE CONSULS GENERAL IN HONG KONG AS DID THE CERTIFICATION OF ORIGIN REQUIREMENT, THE BENELUX ARE CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY THAT IF THEY INTRODUCE THIS NEW CONTROL, THEY CAN ABANDON THE CERTIFICATION OF ORIGIN REQUIREMENT,

3. KOOPS MENTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDITIONAL EX-QUOTA SHIPPENTS VIA THIRD COUNTRIES BY MUTUAL ARRANGEMENT, PRESUMABLY TO KEEP OPEN TRADITIONAL CHANNELS OF TRADE. HE ALSO ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS STILL THE BENELUX INTENTION TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CREDITING TO QUOTA OF HONG KONG IMPORTS SUBSEQUENTLY RE-EXPORTED.

F C O PASS GOVERNOR HONG KONG AS MY TELEGRAM #0.42 OF 6 NOVEMBER.

SIR R BARCLAY

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION

HONG KONG LEPT.

TRADE POLICY DEPT.

нашк

CONFIDENTIAL

6/504/1

LART

REF.

HEXI

REF.