TNAG-0522-FCO40-617-Discussions-with-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 101

PRIORITY

CPS 120A

CYPHER CAT A

FN THE HAGUE 241795Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRORITY FCO TELNO. 355 OF 24 NOVEMBER 1975.

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG UKREP BRUSSELS BRUSSELS UKMIS GENEVA

AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

HONG KONG TELEGRAMS NO. 1174 AND 1175: IMPORTS OF HONG KONG TEXTILES

INTO NETHERLANDS.

•

A)

MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS SAYI

REUTER REPORT IS INACCURATE. NO IMPORT LICENCES HAVE BEEN REFUSED:

B) NETHERLANDS CONTROL SERVICE FOR IMPORTS AND EXPORTS HAVE

HOWEVER WRITTEN TO IMPORTERS, WARNING THEM AGAINST ASSUMING

THAT IMPORT LICENCES WILL CONTINUE TO BE ISSUED AUTOMATICALLY AGAINST HONG KONG EXPORT DOCUMENTS:

C)

REASON IS THAT 1975 TEXTILE QUOTAS, CALCULATED ON DUTCH OR BENELUX BASIS, ARE ALMOST EXHAUSTED, FURTHER IMPORTS ARE ALREADY IN PIPELINE AND, IN VIEW OF NEAR CERTAINTY THAT CURRENT CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND COMMUNITY WILL LEAD TO FRESH IMPORT RESTRICTIONS, MINISTRY CONSIDER THEY HAVE DUTY TO WARN DUTCH IMPORTERS OF RISKS INVOLVED IN NEW PURCHASES: D) DUTCH ACCEPT THAT THEY CANNOT ACT UNILATERALLY AND THAT COUMISSH ON MUST NEGOTIATE ON THEIR BEHALF. BUT, IN VIEW OF DIFFEICULTIS FACED BY COMMUNITY.TEXTILE INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING OUR OWN, THEY REGARD OUTCOME AS FOREGONE CONCLUSION.

2. DUTCH SEEM TO HAVE DONE NO MORE THAN ANTICIPATE RESULT OF FORTHCOMİNG NEGOTIATIONS. IT THEREFORE SEEMS HARD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT

THEIR BEHAVIOUR.

BARNES

FILES

FRD

*

TRED

WED

MR STATHAM MR MASON

AIKIOD

EID

COPIES TO

HK GOVT OFFICE

LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL

སྙམ ་* “...

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