TNAG-0239-FCO40-275-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-generalised-tariffs-preferences--1970 — Page 193

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CYPHER/CAT A

IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TE FORAM MUMBER 38

CONFIDENTIAL

TO UKDEL OECD PARIS 7 SEPTEMBER 1970 (MTU 15/2)

213

NEUTRAL

ADDRESSED TO UKDEL OECD PARIS TELEGRAM NUMBER 38 OF 7 SEPTEMBER REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO UKDEL BRUSSELS, UKHIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON

AND TOKYO.

MY TELEGRAM NUMBER 36: GENERALISED PREFERENCES,

FOLLOWING FOR KEMMIS.

E.E.C. REPRESENTATIVES AT AD HOC COMMITTEE MAY ASK WHY WE HAVE

NOT TABLED AN OFFER BASED ON DUTY QUOTAS IN THE LIGHT OF HARMEL'S INVITATION TO CANDIDATES FOR E.E.C. MEMBERSHIP TO DISCUSS WAYS OF HARMONISING THEIR GENERALISED PREFERENCE PROPOSALS. YOU SHOULD TAKE THE LINE THAT FOR THE U.K. AT PRESENT THE ONLY SENSITIVE ITEMS AMONG MANUFACTURED GOODS, AND THEREFORE THE ONLY ONES TO WHICH WE WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO APPLY DUTY FREE QUOTAS, ARE TEXTILES. ONCE WE HAD DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD EXCLUDE TEXTILES FROM OUR OFFER THE QUESTION OF ADOPTING A DUTY QUOTA SYSTEM BECAME, FOR THE PRESENT, NO

IONCER RELEVANT. PARAGRAPH 10 OF OUR OFFER SHOWS THAT WE EXPECT

TO MODIFY IT ON ENTRY INTO THE E.E.C.

2. IF YOU ARE ASKED WHETHER WE PROPOSE TO USE DUTY QUOTAS IF WE

NEED TO INTRODUCE SAFEGUARDS (PARAGRAPH 11 OF OUR OFFER) YOU

SHOULD SAY THAT THIS IS A MATTER ON WHICH WE HAVE TAKEN NO DECISION

MID WE WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT THE MATTER IN THE LIGHT OF CIRCUMSTANCES

A THE TIME.

3. UXDEL BRUSSELS SHOULD DRAW ON THE ABOVE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH

COMMUNITY OFFICIALS.

DOUGLAS-HOME

INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION

TRADE POLICY DEPT.

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LAKK O/R

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