TNAG-0387-FCO40-433-Exports-of-non-cotton-textiles-from-Hong-Kong-to-the-EEC-1973 — Page 58

- 5 -

1

Secondly, the delegations were of the opinion that if the Community wanted to find a solution to the broader problem of imports of textiles from low-income Asian countries, it would not suffice to make a thorough examination of the case of Hong Kong alone. The Community authorities should therefore extend their work to other countries whose low- price exports constituted at least a potential risk for the European markets, e.g. countries such as South Korea, Taiwan and Macao.

Finally, the delegations stressed the link - which in their opinion was of extreme importance between the matters which were currently being examined within the framework of GATT in the content of the search for a multilateral solution to the difficulties of world trade in textiles, and the type of solution proposed by the . Commission for the bilateral relations between EEC and Hong Kong. Any position adopted by the Community on the problems raised by the proposal, e.g. list of sensitive products, reference year for ceilings, safeguard clause, might predetermine the position to be adopted by the Community during any bilateral negotiations which might be started at a later date with other Far Eastern countries (1).

>

../...

See the declaration by the French delegation which put special emphasis on this point (S/414/73 (COMER 66), p. 8 and 9).

S/704 e/73 (COMER 141) ers/BS/hb