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Registry
No.
MTU.15/393/DRAFT
URITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
To:-
RESTRICTED
Brief No 2.
Type 1 +
From
9/28
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
MEETING BETWEEN UK AND HONG KONG OFFICIALS AT FOO
23-25 NOVEMBER
HONG KONG AND THE GENERALISED PREFERENCE SCHEME
might
BACKGROUND
•
Hong Kong's inclusion as a beneficiary in the
UNCTAD Generalised Preference Scheme has already been
mentioned in a separate brief on the enlargement
negotiations. The prospect of Hong Kong as a burden
exclusively on the enlarged Community is the only
lever we possess to achieve Hong Kong's inclusion (even
partially) in the EEC preference scheme This should
gain the territory admittance to the US preference
scheme, and this is without question the most important
aspect from Hong Kong's point of view, as 42% of her
exports are to the American market, and less than half
of them are in the textile and footwear categories
excluded from the US preference scheme. Failure to
obtain access to the EEC's scheme will certainly
disqualify Hong Kong from the US scheme, and presumably
from the UK scheme also when this is merged with the
It is therefore clear
EEC scheme after enlargement.
that a successful outcome of the EEC/Hong Kong GPS
issue is vital to the colony's economic future.
The situation at present
2.
(a)
EEC.
The point reached with the EEC has been
described in the main brief on our negotiating
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