TNAG-1149-FCO40-1429-Effect-on-Hong-Kong-of-the-Portuguese-and-Spanish-accession--1982 — Page 3

CONFIDENTRIAL

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00 UKREP BRUSSELS DESKBY 190700Z

GRS 569

CONFIDENTIAL

FRAME EXTERNAL

FM F C O 181703Z MAY 82

TO IMMEDIATE UKREP BRUSSELS

TELEGRAM NUMBER 442 OF 18 MAY,

SAVING TO LISBON

PORTUGUESE ACCESSION GROUP : 19 MAY.

EXTERNAL RELATIONS (T/TAP/84-86)

1. WE CAN AGREE TO EXISTING QRS ON 4 MORE CATGEGORIES OF PRO-

DUCTS FROM GATT COUNTRIES (P3) BEING EXTENDED FOR A TRANSITTIONAL

PERIOD POST-ACCESSION: SIMILARLY TO TWO ADDITIONS TO JAPANESE

LISAT (P7).

2. YOU SHOULD NOT ACCEPT PORTUGUESE JUSTIFICATIONS EN BLOC,

BUT IF THERE IS DOUBT ABOUT COMMISSION'S REASONS FOR REJECTION

OF ANYU PARTICULAR ITEM ON GATT LIST YOU SHOULD SUPPORT OTHERS

IN ARGUING FOR PORTUGAL TO BE ALLOWED TO MAINTAIN EXISTING QRS

BEYOND THOSE ALREADY ACCEPTED BY COMMISSION. (DESPITE COMMISSION'S

FINAL COMMENTS (P17))

3. AGREE THAT STATE TRADERS CANNOT BE GIVEN BETTER ACCESS THAN

GATT COUNTRIES AND THAT THEREFORE 70.10, 73.10 AND 85.19 MUST

REMAIN UNDER TRANSITIONAL QRS.

4. ACCEPT COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS FOR A MEXICMUM LIST OF 17

PRODUCTS WHICH MIGHT BE SUBJECT TO TRANSITIONAL QRS TOWARDS 4

PREFERENTIAL PARTNERS (BUT EXCLUDING EFTA), SUBJECT TO SUBSEQUENT

NEGOTIATION OF THE ADAPTATION PROTOCOLS.

CUSTOMS UNION (CONF-P/24/82)

5. WILL ANNEX BE AMENDED IN LIGHT OF OUTCOME OF RECENT PROTOCOL NEGOTIATIONS WHICH LED TO SOME CHANGES IN TARIFF HEAD-

INGS?

6.

FEEL PORTUGUESE INDUSTRY WOULD BENEFIT FROM A STEADIER PROGRESSION OF LOWERING DUTIES RATHER THAN LARGE, INFREQUENT REDUCTIONS PROPOSED OVER 6 YEAR (PROBABLY) TRANSITION PERIOD THEY

THIS IS UNNECESSARILY EXTENDED.

ARE REQUESTING.

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CONFIDENTRIAL

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