TNAG-0465-FCO40-530-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-EEC-Generalised-Scheme-of-Prefer-1974 — Page 13

GRS 160

PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT/A

FM HONG KONG 2703002

CONFIDENTIAL [FRAME FILES]

>

474

Ente

(214)

TO PRIORITY F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 1277 OF 27 DECEMBER, INFO PRIORITY BRUSSELS (FOR BURGESS), UKREP BRUSSELS, HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON AND ROUTINE SENIOR BRITISH TRADE

COMMISSIONER HONG KONG.

EEC GSP 1975.

CC

**

HKK 6/598/1/197357/01))

UNDER ARTICLE 1.5 OF COUNCIL REGULATION NO 3853/74 OF 2 DECEMBER, HONG KONG WILL BE SUBJECT TO SPECIAL TREATMENT (50% CUT OFF. FOR EACH MS) IN 1975 IN RESPECT OF UMBRELLAS, IMITATION JEWELLERY, TORCHES, TOYS AND WIGS. THE INCLUSION OF THE LAST ITEM, OUR EXPORTS OF WHICH HAVE BEEN DECLINING RAPIDLY (HK DOLLARS 105.4 MILLION, 43.6 MILLION AND 28.4 MILLION IN 1971, 1972 AND 1973 RESPECTIVELY), IS EVIDENCE THAT THE LIST WAS DRAWN UP ON OUT OF DATE STATISTICS, IF

ANY.

2. THE SAME ARTICLE CONTAINS A PROVISION WHICH ALLOWS A

MEMBER STATE NOT TO AVAIL ITSELF OF THIS LIMITATION. WE HOPE

YOU WILL FEEL ABLE NOT TO IMPOSE THIS ADDITIONAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG IN THE BRITISH MARKET AND TO URGE OTHER

MEMBER STATES TO FOLLOW YOUR LEAD.

3. I WOULD HOPE WE CAN GET SOME FAVOURABLE PUBLICITY HERE OUT

OF THIS.

F C O PLEASE PASS HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE.

ROBERTS

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC FILES DISTRIBUTION

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

RIBUT

HRIOD

TRED

MR

MARSHALL

MR

MALE

SIR. O. WRIGHT

FRAME

COPIES ΤΟ

HONG KONG GOUT OFFICE

6. GRAFTON. ST