TNAG-0386-FCO40-432-Exports-of-non-cotton-textiles-from-Hong-Kong-to-the-EEC-1973 — Page 12

PRIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 230920Z

CONFIDENTIAL ["FRAME]

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73.

TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 567 OF 23RD MAY, 1973. INFO PRIORITY UKREPP BRUSSELS, INFO ROUTINE BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE) THE HAGUE AND HONG KONG COVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON .

YOUR TELNO 501.

HONG KONG/EEC TEXTILES.

WE SHALL GIVE URGENT CONSIDERATION TO THE SITUATION YOU DISCRIBE

AND WILL SEEK ADVICE FROM THE TEXTILES ADVISORY BOARD TOMORROW (24 MAY).

2.

EXAMINATION OF LATEST STATISTICS INDICATES THAT TRADE TRENDS MAY NOT BE AS MUCH A SOURCE OF CONCERN AS THE DUTCH INDICATED TO RIDLEY AND MISS LOWNE, IN NIMEXE 60 04 47 (WOMEN'S GIRLDS' AND INFANTS' UNDERWEAR) EXPORTS FOR THE YEARS ENDING FEBRUARY

MARCH AND APRIL 1973 ARE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN IN THE PREVIOUS CORRESPONDING YEARS: 1.2, 1.2 AND 1.2 MILLION DOZENS AS COMPARED WITH 1.5, 1.5 AND 1.5 MILLION DOZENS. FOR EX-61 03 31 (MEN'S AAND BOYS' PYJAMAS) THE SAME PERIOD SHOW 28,000, 30,000 AND 28,000 DOZENS IN 1973 COMPARED WITH 26,000 26,000 AND 27,000 COZENS IN 1972.

3.

THERE IS AN UPWARD TREND IN THE OTHER THREE ITEMS IN THE SAME REFERENCE PERIOD, ALTHOUGH IN TWO CASES THIS MIGHT BE PARTLY DUE TO CIRCUMVENTION THROUGH HOLLAND OF OUR UNILATERAL RESTRAINT ON EXPORTS TO GERMANY INTRODUCED ON 1 FEBRUARY 1973. THE FIGURES ARE FOR 61 03 11 (MEN'S AND BOYS' SHIRTS), 244,000, 266,000 AND 298,000 DOZENS AS COMPARED WITH 172,000, 177,000 AND 178,000 DOZENS. FOR 61 02 83 THE INCREASE HAS BEEN RELATIVELY SHARPER: 131,000, 157,600 AND 195,000 DOZENS COMPARED WITH 74,000, 74,000 AND 74,000 DOZENS.

4. THE WOOLENS SWEATERS CATEGORIES (60 05 22 AND 24) THE CORRES- PONDING FIGURES ARE 230,000, 232,000 AND 237,000 DOZENS COMPARED WITH 154,003, 146,000 AND 137,00Ø DOZENS.

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