TNAG-0385-FCO40-431-Trade-relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-EEC-1974 — Page 87

Royle takes up Issue of EEC

A S 11-11-

curb on Colony

COMMON MARKET discrimination against Hongkong textiles and footwear is "no longer acceptable," Mr Anthony Royle, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, told the House of Commons in London.

He said the British government intends to "press resolutely" for the inclusion of Hongkong's textiles and footwear in the generalised preference scheme from 1975 onwards.

Mr Royle was replying to a question from Mr Peter Hordern, MP, who, asked what action was being taken to remedy exclusion of Hongkong's textile and footwear exports.

Mr Royle replied that at a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the EEC on November 6, Mr John Davies, British Minister for European Affairs, made a strong statement on the position of Hongkong,,

"He said that during the enlargement negotiations in 1971 the Community had agreed to admit Hongkong to its generalised system of preferences, subject to the exclusion of her textile and footwear exports.

"Our Chief negotiator at the time had agreed to this arrangement but he had made it clear to the Community that it would be the United Kingdom's continuing concern to avoid discrimination against Hongkong,

now

"The arrangements agreed by our partners in 1971 may have seemed to them not ungenerous. But an important consideration was that since 1971 the situation had changed to the detriment of Hongkong and that the Philippines, Thailand and Yugoslavia, all of them serious competitors of Hongkong, had become beneficiaries under the Community's scheme in respect of cotton textiles.

"We had examined this matter carefully and had concluded that in present circumstances it was no longer acceptable for discrimination to apply against Hongkong.

In next year's review we intend to press resolutely for the inclusion of Hongkong's textiles and footwear in the scheme from 1975 onwards."