TNAG-1144-FCO40-1424-Hong-Kong-and-the-Falkland-Islands-crisis-1982 — Page 115

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FM FCO 081547Z APR 82

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 236 OF 8 APR

INFO UKREP BRUSSELS, PEKING.

GUIDANCE TEL NO 49: INVASION OF FALKLAND ISLANDS

1.

THE TRADE MEASURES AGAINST ARGENTINA WERE ANNOUNCED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON 6 APRIL BY THE MINISTER FOR TRADE AS FOLLOWS:

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'THE GOVERNMENT HAVE DECIDED TO PLACE A BAN ON ALL IMPORTS FROM ARGENTINA. THIS BAN COMES INTO OPERATION AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. ALL IMPORT LICENCES ISSUED UNDER EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS ARE REVOKED. I WILL CONSIDER APPLICATIONS FOR LICENCES TO IMPORT GOODS WHICH CAN BE SHOWN TO HAVE BEEN IN TRANSIT TO THE UK BEFORE THE BAN TOOK EFFECT.' ↑

2. THE MEASURES DO NOT (REPEAT NOT) EXTEND TO THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES, NOR CAN THEY BE UNDER THE IMPORT OF GOODS (CONTROL) ORDER 1954 (UNDER WHICH THE MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN).

3. WE WOULD THEREFORE REQUEST YOU TO TAKE

APPROPRIATE STEPS TO IMPOSE AN IMPORT BAN ON GOODS

FROM ARGENTINA ALONG THE LINES OF OUR OWN. IF YOU SEE DIFFICULTY, PLEASE REPORT URGENTLY. THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY IMPOSED AN IMPORT BAN AND OUR COMMUNITY AND OTHER PARTNERS ARE MOVING TOWARDS TAKING MEASURES. WE BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND IF THE MEASURES DID NOT EXTEND TO DEPENDENT TERRITORIES AND OUR EFFORTS WOULD CONSEQUENTLY BE UNDERMINED.

4.

WE APPRECIATE THE POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES

INVOLVED IN RE-EXPORTS TO CHINA. BUT WE BELIEVE

THE AMOUNTS INVOLVED ARE SMALL, WHILE TOTAL IMPORTS FROM ARGENTINA, AT POUNDS STERLING 11 MILLION, ARE SUBSTANTIAL. WE NOTE THAT IN 1980, WHEN ASKED TO

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