TNAG-0464-FCO40-529-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-EEC-Generalised-Scheme-of-Prefer-1974 — Page 150

4. YOUR GOVERNMENT WILL NO DOUBT BE FURTHER

AWARE THAT ON 14 JUNE THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG

PRESENTED A FORMAL MEMORANDUM TO THE EEC COMMISSION

IN BRUSSELS RELATING TO PROPOSALS BY THE COMMISSION

TO THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS IN RESPECT OF THE 1975

SCHEME OF PREFERENCES FOR THE EEC AND TO THE PRESENT

GENERAL TRADING POSITION OF HONG KONG IN THIS SECTOR,

WHICH CONTAINS SEVERAL ELEMENTS THAT ARE CAUSING MY

GOVERNMENT DISTRESS.

AVAILABLE, IF DESIRED).

(I HAVE COPIES OF THAT MEMORANDUM

3.

5. IN MY MENTION OF DISTRESS I REFER TO THE

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE BRITISH COLONY OF HONG KONG

IN THE CURRENT EEC GENERALISED SCHEME OF PREFERENCES IN

BOTH THE TEXTILES AND FOOTWEAR SECTORS, RESULTING IN THE

CURRENT EXCLUSION FROM TARIFF BENEFITS OF TWO-THIRDS OF

OUR DOMESTIC EXPORTS.

THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG IS

HOWEVER PARTICULARLY GLAD THAT IN THE NEW PROPOSALS PUT

FORWARD BY THE EEC COMMISSION IN RECENT WEEKS, THE LATTER

CAN NOW BE SEEN TO HAVE COME TO THE VIEW THAT THE

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG SHOULD BE REMOVED WITH

EFFECT FROM 1 JANUARY 1975 AT LEAST IN RESPECT OF FOOTWEAR.

THE QUESTION OF SIMILAR ACTION ON TEXTILES HAS NOT WE

/UNDERSTAND

བབས་ མ་

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