0003230
G.F. 323
CONFIDENTIAL
First Plenary Session Wednesday, 27 May 1970
*
3 p.m.
After the usual exchange of courtesies and agreement of the agenda and programme, Baron de Geer said that one of the points made by Hong Kong in the past was that following a restraint by Hong Kong other countries had been able to increase their exports to Sweden at Hong Kong's expense. He had therefore produced a table (Enclosure 1) showing total imports, imports from Hong Kong and imports from certain other low priced countries (excluding Hong Kong) expressed as a percentage of total supply.
2.
Mr. Ho stated that restraints by Hong Kong had lead to sharp increases of supply from Finland, Denmark and the United States. The Eastern European countries, Taiwan and Macao had also been gaining.
3.
Baron de Geer pointed to the very strong position Hong Kong was enjoying in the Swedish market by reference to the figures in the tables and commented as follows:-
Cottons
(a) Group 1 (Cotton Knitwear)
Total imports were increasing and Hong Kong was keeping pace.
(i) Knitted shirts
Total imports were up but imports from Hong Kong were declining. Mr. Ho observed that the figures clearly demonstrated that the restraint by Hong Kong was helping other suppliers notably Finland and not the Swedish industry. Although Hong Kong's share of total supply was relatively high in 1968, the percentage recorded for 1969 was the - lowest in the three years since 1967.
(ii) Knitted nightgarments
Total imports and imports from Hong Kong were relatively steady.
(iii) Knitted undergarments
Although imports from other low cost suppliers rose from 8.1% to 9.9% of total imports, Hong Kong's share showed only an insignificant decline.
(iv) Knitted sweaters
The general increase in import shares was as follows
1968
1969
Total Imports
76%
84%
Hong Kong
11%
17%
Other low priced suppliers
16%
20%
CONFIDENTIAL
/(b)
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.