TNAG-0462-FCO40-527-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-EEC-Generalised-Scheme-of-Prefer-1974 — Page 83

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

1 VICTORIA STREET

LONDON SW1H OET

01 222 7877

Mr A C Stuart

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department King Charles Street

London SW1A 2AH

19 February 1974

(27)

Deen Smeant

GENERALISED SCHEME OF PREFERENCES: HONG KONG

LAST

REF.

NEXT

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REF

Thank you for your letter of 15 February. You appear to have misunderstood the third paragraph of my letter. This concerned the final sentence of the Hong Kong telegram relating to market conditions in the United Kingdom - "a fear of generally soft market conditions in 1974". My paragraph 3 was merely to indicate that given conditions under which British industry is working the three day week and all that it seems unlikely that the Hong Kong industry's concerns about "soft marketing conditions" appear likely to be realised.

M

2.

It was not, and is not, my intention to suggest that we should tell Hong Kong that her industry's wishes on the GSP will not be realised. This should have been made clear by our agreement with the line in Mr Hart's telegram which concludes, "We remain determined, as made clear by the Chancellor of the Duchy in the Council in Brussels

to do all we can to get the discrimination against

•

Hong Kong removed."

3.

I am copying this letter to the recipients of yours.

Goranes general

J B INGRAM

cc: Miss Lackey

Mr Braithwaite- WOD, FCO

Mr Cloake Mr Youde

-

FCO

M

- CRE 2/3, DTI

TRED, FCO

Shohar

inve love a word

422

Mi Stunt Thould see ok