TNAG-0300-FCO40-336-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-generalized-tariffs-preferences--1971 — Page 207

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10.

Our freedom of decision is necessarily somewhat limited by

in hall the decision of the EC to include only the Croup of 77 and

dependencies, and by the progress made in the Brussels negotiations

shall

lotus be joining the we If the latter are successful, and this must be the assumption, we have said that following entry our scheme will have to be assimilated to that of the Six. At some time during the transition period, not

? earlier than 1975, we shall adopt the Community's scheme, and their list of beneficiaries, and we would wish to avoid having to make

many adjustments in respect of bonoficiaries, when adoption of the Community's quota system will present many problems to traders and

to governments.

11.

In these circumstances the considerations which appear to

determine our decisions are set out in the following paragraphs.

Commonwealth Developing Countries.

12 Cur generalised preferences schone offers small new benefits to Commonwealth developing countries which already enjoy duty-free entry.

here on at least 95 per cent of their total exports. They are

likely to continue to claim Commonwealth preference but in some cases the UNCTAD rules of origin may be advantageous; in either case

they will obtain duty free entry. The most important manufactured goods on which the Commonwealth now have apreferential rate of duty only a little lower than the full rate - silk and man-made fibres -

are excluded from our scheme, but on all the other goods in Chapters 2599 on which goods from Commonwealth developing counties now have to pay duty they willobtain duty free entry for the first time, These goods include motor cars and their parts, musical instrumento