CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY BRUSSELS
TELEGRAM NUMBER 17
CONFIDENTIAL
[NEUTRAL]
FROM DODGE.
CONFIDENTIAL
TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG
128 FEBRUARY 1969
PBp!
TOP COPY
M
COTTON TEXTILES TO THE BENELUX: YOUR TELNO 11.
•
ARTICLE 3 RESERVES: I HAVE DISCUSSED SITUATION AGAIN WITH KOOPS
AND NOW ANTICIPATE BENELUX AGREEMENT WHICH IS LIKELY TO BE FORMAL
PROPOSAL BY LETTER THROUGH THIS OFFICE.
i
2. IN CONNECTION WITH THE FIGURES IN YOUR TELNO 614, KOOPS IS RE- CHECKING BUT IS UNDER IMPRESSION THAT HIS HANDKERCHIEFS' ''EXCESS'' WAS IN REGION OF 64,000 DOZEN, 1.E. 6 TONS, NOT 3.2. AS WE HAVE AGREED TO SETTLE ALL FIGURES PRIVATELY BEFORE ISSUE OF FORMAL LETTER AS ABOVE, PLEASE ADVISE FURTHER ON YOUR CALCULATIONS IN DETAIL FOR THIS CATEGORY.
ARTICLE 4 RESERVES: POSITION HAS DETERIORATED OVERNIGHT AS KOOPS HAS RECEIVED INITIAL RETURNS OF STATISTICS WHICH REVEAL THAT, GENERALLY SPEAKING, UNUTILISED BALANCES OF VALID PRE-13TH JANUARY IMPORT LICENCES EXCEED, REPEAT EXCEED, RESERVES, FOR EXAMPLE ·
GROUP 1 OUTSTANDING VALID BALANCE IS 158 TONS. KOOPS IS DISTRESSED
AND WORRIED BY THE POSITION. APPARENTLY IMPORTERS HAVE BEEN
APPROACHED TO GIVE UP ''EXCESS'' LICENCES NOT REQUIRED BUT, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE NEW SYSTEM, THEY PREFER TO HOLD ON TO THEM. OBVIOUSLY IN THE LIGHT OF THIS RETURN THE FIRST PHASE OF THE
BENELUX TWO-PHASE SCHEME IS IN JEOPARDY. SOME WEEKS DELAY SEEMS
ALMOST CERTAIN. KOOPS WAS SO OBVIOUSLY DISTRESSED THAT I CONFINED
MY COMMENTS TO THE HOPE THAT THE BENELUX WOULD BE ABLE TO RESOLVE
/THE
CONFIDENTIAL ·
LAST
LIVED IR
REF
!VES #..81
MAR 1969
LEXT
REF.
-AKIL 6/504/1
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