GRS 220
IMMEDIATE
CHER CAT A
FM PARIS 211547Z
CONFIDENTIAL
[ FRAME FILES]
CONFIDENTIAL
P:
23 JUN1977
:1
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELNO 006 OF 21 JUNE
160°
ট
61
INFO IMMEDIATE FCO, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON (FOR BURGESS)
UKREP BRUSSELS, PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, BRUSSELS.
-NIR
MY TELNO 617 AND YOUR TELNO 618 TO FCO: FRENCH TEXTILE RESTRAINTS
1. MINISTER (ECONOMIC) TODAY APPROACHED ACHARD, DIRECTEUR OF
M ROSSI'S CABINET TO ENQUIRE ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE NEW
IMPORT CONTROLS FOR HONG KONG'S TEXTILE SALES TO FRANCE. HE STRESSED
THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS FOR HONG KONG AND THE CONCERN WHICH WOULD
INEVITABLY BE FELT BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AT A TIME WHEN THEY
HAD BEEN GIVEN GROUNDS TO HOPE THAT FRANCE WAS ADOPTING A MORE
LIBERAL POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG IMPORTS.
2. ACHARD TOOK NOTE AND SAID THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE PROBLEM. HE SAID
THAT NO OTHER CATEGORY OF HONG KONG'S IMPORTS WAS AFFECTED. THESE
MEASURES WERE NOT AIMED UNIQUELY AT HONG KONG BUT AT ALL NON-EEC
TEXTILE PRODUCERS. HONG KONG WAS BEING TREATED THE SAME AS THE OTHERS
HE ASSUMED THAT THE INCLUSION OF MEN'S SHIRTS WAS WHAT GAVE MOST
SERIOUS CAUSE FOR CONCERN: BUT THIS WAS THE VERY PRODUCT WHICH
MHAD ACHIEVED THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF PENETRATION ON THE FRENCH MARKET.
3. ACHARD SAID THAT NO DECISION HAD YET BEEN TAKEN ON THE EXACT
SIZ E OF THE QUOTAS FOR 1977 ALTHOUGH THEY WOULD PROBABLY EQUAL THE
QUANTITIES IMPORTED IN 1976. WE SHALL BE FOLLOWING THIS POINT UP
WITH THE DIRECTION DES RELATIONS ECONOMIQUES EXTERIEURES OF THE
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN TRADE.
FCO PLEASE PASS ADVANCE COPIES TO ARBUTHNOTT (EID(E)) RIDLEY (DOI), R W GRAY (DOT) AND RENWICK (CABINET OFFICE).
HENDERSON
[ADVANCED AS REQUESTED]
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC FILES DISTRIBUTION
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
EID (E)
FRAME
PRES SECT
COPIES TO:
HK & GD TRED
CONFIDENTIAL
MR BURGESS
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
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