2.
Besides the agreements with Hong Kong, similar arrangements were concluded with Portugal after discussions at the end of 1968.
A system of export control was established regarding the Portuguese exports to Sweden of men's and boys' trousers, protective and work clothing, and men's and boys shirts all three items involving cotton and travelling rugs and blankets of other textile materials.
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Talks with Yugoslavia in June 1968 and February this year resulted in a special system for controlling imports from Yugoslavia of some twelve textile items, principally shirts, jackets and anoraks for men and women, suits, lounge coats, trousers for men and women, costumes and dresses.
• In order to complete the picture, it should be added that textile imports from Taiwan were put under licensing control on July 25, 1968, to prevent a switch-over of imports mainly from Hong Kong to Taiwan suppliers. Similarly, when re-nego- tiating bilateral trade agreements with State Trading countries, Sweden, as a rule, no longer grants increased textile quotas, which has been very much resented by the countries in question.
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As to Japan there has been no trade negotiations since 1965 and the Swedish textile quota has not been changed for many years. A licensing system is also applied on textile imports from South Korea and discussions regarding further control measures are at present being held in Stockholm.
The
The system of export limitations to keep the internal develop- ment in Sweden under control cannot be abolished yet. situation on the Swedish home market is still very serious in spite of the measures taken. It is expected that the rise in total industrial production in Sweden will amount to 5 per cent in 1968 whereas the „production trend within the textile sector indicates a fall by 2 per cent. Consequently, the aggregate loss within the sector would be 7 per cent.
S
In the ready-to-wear industry, production decreased by 6 per cent during the first three quarters of 1968 in comparison with the same period in 1967. Total imports of ready-made clothing rose by 35 per cent as against an increase in exports of 14 per cent; both figures referring to January September 1968. The total supply of ready-to-wear clothing grew by 7 per cent during the same period. Imports represented 45 per cent of the total supply. Unfortunately, the figures for the whole year regarding these items are not yet available, but will be published very soon.
In the knit-wear industry, the trend was equally disquieting in 1968. Manufacture of knitted fabrics taken apart, the de- crease in production amounted to 13.1 per cent. Imports of knit-wear goods rose by some 1,250 tons from 9,031 tons in 1967 to 10.285 tons in 1968 and exports increased by some 830 tons from 1,691 tons to 2,522 tons.. The total supply increased
by some 1,060 tons to 17,764 tons. of the total supply, imports represented 58 per cent compared to 54 per cent in 1967.
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According to Swedish law, every industrial plant which expects that it will be necessary to reduce its number of employees must give farming to this effect in advance. The number of such warnings in the textile sector increased in 1968 compared