RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY N5.48
-9001 1969
Ma13/38/5
Commodities Department,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London S.W.1
October, 1969.
196
Mr. P.Y. Tang, a member of the Hong Kong Executive Council and of the Cextile Advisory Board thore, has asked for clarification of the President'; remark, in the course of his statement to Parliament on 22 July, that the "Government would consider the use of quotas only on particular products under the Long-term Cotton Arrangement of the G.A.T.T. and only if total imports of cotton textiles rose significantly above the present level and caused disruption to the market in this particular product".
We discussed this briefly on the telephone. I should be grateful if you would clarify the following points:
(a) What does the phrase "total imports" mean? Is it imports of all
categories of cotton textiles from every country?
(b) Can the phrase "significantly above the present level" be further
clarified? What kind of increase would be regarded as significant?
As I am sure you already appreciate, Hong Kong's main concern with regard to the proposed new tariff is a fear that it will, in the end, result in both tariff and quotas so far as her exports to this country are concerned. Any Further clarification you can give of the President's statement against this background would, therefore, be most helpful.
Mass C.H. Welch,
Board of Trade.
(F.D. Milne.)
Now
Ави
9/100
16
CONFIDENTIAL,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.