TNAG-0250-FCO40-286-Discussions-on-EEC-negotiations-between-officials-of-Hong-Ko-1970 — Page 235

Telephone No.: 01: 222: 7877 Ext.2237

PRIV

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Justa

Department of Trade and Industr

BOARD OF TRADE

1 VICTORIA STREET

LONDON S.W.1

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28 October 1970

Confidential

Dear Ken,

I infer that I should be addressing these letters to you and not to Wilford.

Further to my letter of 27 October to him there is the question, when we have settled how we are to approach the Indians, how and when we are to approach Australia and New Zealand.

The New Zealand active interest requiring a waiver of their rights under Article 2 of the Trade Agreement is very small about 15,400 in 1968. The Australian active interest is larger about £42,500 in 1968 - but may depend on final decisions still to be taken about the exact coverage for the tariff.

In relation to these countries we could:

(i) make formal requests for waivers at the same time

as we approach the Indians;

(ii) at the same time as we approach the Indians, ask our

posts to recall the Crosland decision, say that it still stands and that we shall be approaching them for the necessary waivers;

(iii) defer any approach to them till after we have relaunched

our approaches to India and Canada, and we can perhaps assess how quickly we may be able to procecâ towards clearing our way with them.

I think that we want perhaps to consider together which of these courses we should choose. At the moment, I think I am personally inclined towards (iii) though without excluding the possibility of taking suitable informal opportunity to warn both countries that the matter is one on which we shall be formally approaching them in due course. I do not, however, think that we can advisedly leave it too long before formally approaching them, since though I would hope that we would not have difficulties with these two countries once we can indicate that we expect to be in the clear with our major suppliers to whom we have obligations, they will need time to consider and consult their own interests and it never helps to try to rush people at the last moment.

V.G.K. Gallagher Esq., C.K.G. Commodities Department,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, S.W.1

1.

Mr. Gallagher has not seen

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