RESTRICTED
CYPHER/CAT A
Rixkl Council
ROUTINE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TO HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 484
Fee (109
R GITRYN .51
RESTRICTED.
30 JUL 1969
MIPT FOLLOWING IS TEXT.
L
HKK6/548/8
28 JULY 1969 (COMMODITIES)
HONG KONG TEXTILE ASSOCIATIONS ARE STRONGLY OPPOSED TO UK TEXTILE COUNCILS TARIFF RECOMMENDATION STOP
WE BELIEVE TEXTILE COUNCILS REPORT IS NOT SOUND BASIS FOR SUCH FAR-REACHING BREACH OF COMMONWEALTH PREFERENCE SYSTEM STOP
REPLACEMENT OF QUOTA RESTRICTIONS BY TARIFF ON COMMONWEALTH SUPPLIERS WILL NOT HELP LANCASHIRE BUT WILL REDUCE
SHARE OF IMPORTS HELD BY COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES INCLUDING HONG KONG TO BENEFIT EFTA AND IRISH REPUBLIC AND OTHER
NON COMMONWEALTH SUPPLIERS STOP THIS WILL SEVERELY DISRUPT PRESENT PATTERN OF TRADE AND PRICES STOP
REPORT JUSTIFIES TARIFF PROPOSAL BY CLAIM THAT OTHER COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES DO THE SAME STOP THIS IS NOT TRUE OF HONG KONG WHICH HAS NO TARIFF OR OTHER RESTRICTIONS ON IMPORTS FROM BRITAIN STOP WE HAVE
RESTRAINED OUR COTTON EXPORTS TO BRITAIN FOR TEN YEARS STOP HONG KONG HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRESENT IMPORT LEVEL STOP INDEED SINCE 1959 OUR EXPORTS TO BRITAIN OF PRODUCTS COVERED BY TEXTILE COUNCIL STUDY HAVE FALLEN FROM 125 MILLION SQUARE YARDS TO 100 MILLION STOP NEVERTHELESS HONG KONG IS STILL HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON TEXTILE EXPORTS AND ON BRITISH MARKET IN PARTICULAR STOP IN 1968 TWENTYSEVEN PERCENT OF OUR COTTON EXPORTS WENT TO BRITAIN STOP WE URGE YOU TO REJECT THE RECOMMENDATION AND TO TAKE NO PRECIPITATE ACTION TO UPSET ESTABLISHED PATTERN OF TRADE STOP IN HONG KONGS CASH THIS HAS BEEN FROZEN IN RESPONSE TO BRITISH REQUESTS FOR RESTRAINT AND DEMANDS FOR CATEGORISATION, AND IS GUARANTEED IN AN AGREEMENT THAT RUNS TO THE END OF 1970 STOP THE SUDDEN BREAKING OF THIS PATTERN WOULD CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP DISRUPTION AND ILL-FEELING STOP VINCENT WOO, HONG KONG COTTON SPINNERS ASSOCIATION:
C.K. CHOW, FEDERATION OF HONGKONG COTTON WEAVERS:
Y.C. CHEONG, HONG KONG WEAVING MILLS ASSOCATION
Y.L. YANG, HONG KONG FINISHING INDUSTRIES
K.S. LAM, FEDERATION OF HONG KONG GARMET
RE
RESTRICTED
/MANUFACTURERS
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