TNAG-0386-FCO40-432-Exports-of-non-cotton-textiles-from-Hong-Kong-to-the-EEC-1973 — Page 100

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EEC TEXTILES DISCUSSIONS: HONG KONG

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A.R.

26.14

1. The Deputy Economic Secretary, Hong Kong, Mr Derek Jones,

has been attending meetings this week with DTI Chemicals and

Textiles Division to discuss the current EEC negotiations.

have attended the meetings.

2. In Hong Kong telegram No 281 the Hong Kong Government

expressed concern that the Community might be about to agree

H

421

a mandate for restrictions on a very wide range of non-cotton

textiles. We have agreed with Mr Jones and with the DTI that

although some sort of mandate on a Community-wide basis might

now be inevitable, we would maintain the principle that no

restrictions should be demanded or imposed without evidence of

actual substantial damage to the countries of the Community.

This was in the UK's direct interest as well as in the interest

of Hong Kong.

3. It was suggested that it would be easier to defend the

position that unreasonable restrictions should not be imposed

if the Hong Kong Government had already reacted to reasonable

complaints. Their unilateral offer to impose restrictions to

West Germany had taken some of the heat out of the situation.

The remaining problem was exports to the Benelux countries.

Mr Jones agreed to recommend to the Hong Kong Government a

unilateral offer to Benelux on the lines of that already

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