TNAG-0238-FCO40-274-Trade-relations-between-EEC-and-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 85

CYPHER/CAT A

PRIORITY BRUSSELS

TELEGRAM NUMBER 46

CONFIDENTIAL

[NEUTRAL]

FROM DODGE.

CONFIDENTIAL...

To HONG KONG

6 NOVEMBER 1970

061155Z

HONG KONG/EEC COTTON TEXTILES

125

TOP COPY

(30)

THE COMMISSION ARE TAKING VERY MUCH LONGER THAN EXPECTED

OVER THE PREPARATION OF THEIR DOCUMENTS FOR INITIALLING DESPITE

LENGTHY, DAILY MEETINGS BETWEEN US. I ANTICIPATE THAT THE INITIALL-

ING FORMALITY WILL NOW TAKE PLACE EARLY NEXT. WEEK.

2. I AM ASSUMING THAT YOU HAVE NO LAST-MINUTE INSTRUCTIONS, PARTICULARLY ON THE CONVERSION FACTORS, HAVE THEREFORE

I

PROCEEDED AS INDICATED IN DDCR'S BRUSSELS MEMORANDUM NG. 199,

1E. ON THE GATT/US (GERMAH) (NEXT GROUP UNDERLINED) NOT THE

BENELUX LINES.

3. THE DEADLINE FOR ANY FINAL CABLED INSTRUCTIONS TO ME IS

NOW EARLY MONDAY MORNING BRUSSELS TIME, CHANGES WOULD OBVIOUSLY

FURTHER DELAY THE INITIALLING BUT I THINK THE COMMISSION WOULD

BE AMENABLE.

4.

THE CONVERSION FACTORS TABLE IS TO BE ANNEXED TO A COMMUNITY

SIDE-LETTER AND I HAVE THEREFORE HAD TO PREPARE FOR THEM A NEW FRAMEWORK OMITTING ALL REFERENCES TO LIMITS/LEVELS AND HONG KONG

STATISTICAL CLASSIFICATIONS WHICH FEATURED IN THE ORIGINAL ENCLOSURE

TO DORWARD'S LETTER OF 12 SEPTEMBER TO ERNST. THE RESULTING SKELTON

TABLE STILL CONTAINS ALL REPEAT ALL THE CONVERSION FACTORS IN THAT

ENCLOSURE BUT THESE ARE NOW SET OUT IN A DRASTICALLY REDUCED

FORMAT. A SIMPLE EXAMPLE READS D 2 BED LINEN BEDSHEETS 74.4 SQ. YDS/DOZEN: PILLOWCASES 13.31 DITTO, ALL OF COURSE UNDER THE 9950 SQUARE YARDS PER METRIC TON RUBRIC. I AM AIRMAILING YOU A 9830

COPY OF MY LATEST DRAFT OF THIS RECAST TABLE.

(

FCO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG.

RECHVID IN REGISTRY No. 51

SIR J. BEITH

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION

HONG KONG DEPT

COMMODITIES DEPT

E.I.Do

николь

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL TRADE

CONFIDENTIAL