GR 350
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
LAST
FM PARIS 291610ZP
CONFIDENTIAL
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC FILES DIST
(テ
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 629 OF 29 JUNE 77
INFO ROUTINE GOVERNOR HONG KONG BRUSSELS (FOR BURGESS) UKREP BRUSSES
UKMIS GENEVA (FOR MILLS) HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
PASSED BY 0.0.D.
HONG KONG TELNO 641 TO FCO : FRENCH TEXTILE RESTRICTIONS
1. BEFORE RECEIPT OF HONG KONG TUR WE HAD ALREADY ARRANGED TO
SPEAK TO PREVEL, THE RESPONSIBLE SOUS-DIRECTEUR IN THE FRENCH KMINISTRY OF EXTERNAL TRADE, TO SEEK CLARIFICATION OF HOW THE
NEW TEXTILE RESTRAINTS WOULD WORK WITH REGARD TO
IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG AND OTHER COUNTRIES COVERED BY THE MFA.
2. PREVEL SAID THE FOLLOWINGI-
(A) IT REMAINED HIS MINISTRY'S INTENTION TO HAVE THE LIMITS ON
TEXTILS IMPORTS KEPT TO THE SAME LEVEL AS THE CURRENT MFA
CEILINGS IN RESPECT OF THREE OF THE FOUR PRODUCTS IN QUESTION (WOMEN'S BLOUSES, TEE-SHIRTS AND COTTON YARN). THERE WOULD BE SOME REDUCTIONS BELOW THE CEILINGS FOR MEN'S SHIRTS, BUT THIS WOULD
NOT BE A PROBLEM FOR HONG KONG.
(B) THE SYSTEM OF EXPORT LICENSING WOULD CONTINUE TO OPERATE,
BUT WOULD BE SUPPLEMENTED BY A SYSTEM OF IMPORT LICENSING FOR
GOODS ON ENTERING FRANCE. IMPORT LICENSES WOULD BE GRANTED
AUTOMATICALLY, SUBJECT TO CHECKING THAT THE AMOUNTS BEING
IMPORTED WERE WITHIN THE MFA CEILINGS.
(C) THIS ARRANGEMENT WAS BEING RECOMMENDED BY OFFICIALS TO THE FRENCH
MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL TRADE. BUT A FINAL DECISION HAD NOT YET BEEN
TAKEN AND THE LEGAL TEXTS SETTING OUT THESE ARRANGEMENTS WOULD NOT
BE ISSUED BEFORE NEXT WEEK AT THE EARLIEST.
(D) SINCE THE PROCEDURES HAD NOT BEEN FINALLY DECIDED, HE WAS UNABLE
TO COMMENT ON THE LIKELY DELAY IN ISSUING LICENCES. WHILE
STRESSING THAT THESE WERE OFFICIALS' RECOMMENDATIONS, PREVEL
SAID THAT HE WOULD BE SURPRISED IF THEY WERE NOT ADOPTED.
CONFIDENTIAL
13. IN SPITE
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