TNAG-1144-FCO40-1424-Hong-Kong-and-the-Falkland-Islands-crisis-1982 — Page 111

RESTRICTED

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OO HONG KONG DESKBY 1522002

GRS 230

RESTRICTED

DESKBY 152200Z

FM FCO 151334Z APR 82

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 255 OF 15 APRIL

INFO UKREP BRUSSELS, PEKING

YOUR TEL NO 346: INVASION OF FALKLAND ISLANDS

1. WE SEE NO OBJECTION TO EITHER (A) OR (B) IN YOUR TUR,

WHICH ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE ACTION WE HAVE TAKEN. BUT

ON (B), THE PHRASE 'HAD ALREADY BEEN ORDERED' SEEMS OTIOSE

WHEN READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE SENTENCE.

MOREOVER, 'ON THEIR WAY TO HONG KONG' IS OF COURSE RESTRICTIVE

AND COULD BE INTERPRETED TO EXCLUDE GOODS WHICH, THOUGH

ULTIMATELY DESTINED FOR HONG KONG, WERE EN ROUTE TO A THIRD

COUNTRY AT THE TIME THE BAN CAME INTO EFFECT. THIS WOULD GO

FURTHER THAN IS INTENDED BY OUR MEASURES. WE ARE HAPPY TO LEAVE

THIS TO YOUR DISCRETION BUT WOULD SUGGEST A MORE GENERAL

FORMULA CLOSER TO THAT IN PARAGRAPH 1 OF OUR TEL NO 236,

NAMELY THAT CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO 'GOODS WHICH CAN

BE SHOWN TO HAVE BEEN IN TRANSIT (EG BY BILL OF LADING) TO

THE UK BEFORE THE BAN TOOK EFFECT'.

2.

YOU WILL WISH TO BE AWARE THAT THE DOT HAVE ISSUED

INSTRUCTIONS THAT IMPORTERS WITH GOODS IN TRANSIT BEFORE

MID-NIGHT ON 6 APRIL MUST APPLY BY 7 MAY FOR AN IMPORT

LICENCE AND THAT GOODS ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE BY 28 MAY.

YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER A SIMILAR DEADLINE, BEARING IN MIND

LENGTH OF SEA PASSAGE FROM ARGENTINA.

3. DOT'S GUIDELINES ON IMPORTS FROM ARGENTINA ISSUED TODAY,

COPY FOLLOWS BY BAG.

wp.

PYM

FCO

ERD

CABINET OFFICE

ADDIMIONAL DISTRIBUZION

FALKLAND ISLANDS

COFIES TO

PS/CHANCIONTOR

STR K COUZENS MR. LIVIILOR.

HAWLIN

MR FORIDUZ

MR HELENA

FEASURY

MR FUNWORD. SAFU CABINET OFFICE MISS DICKSON (EP DIVN) D/ENERGY

HK GO RESTRICTED

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