CYPHER/CAT A
ROUTINE CANBERRA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 596
CONFIDENTIAL
AUSTRALIA.
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 4.
19 JUNE 1969
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED TO FCO TELEGRAM NO 596 OF 19 JUNE.
YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 714 TO NEW DELHI_/ : TEXTILES
27
SIR ANTONY PART DISCUSSED BRIEFLY WITH SIR ALAN WESTERMAN IN
CANBERRA IN MAY TEXTILE COUNCIL REPORT AND POSSIBILITY OF OUR MOVING
FROM QUOTAS UNDER EXISTING IMPORT ARRANGEMENTS TO PROTECTION BY
TARIFF. SIR ALAN SAID AUSTRALIA'S DISPOSITION WAS NOT TO BE
DOCTRINAL SO LONG AS ARRANGEMENTS WHETHER QUOTA OR TARIFF WERE
EQUITABLE. HE
SAID AUSTRALIA HAD NOT USED QUOTAS FOR TEXTILES (THOUGH THEY HAVE
FOR KNITWEAR) BUT ADMITTED FREQUENT PROTECTIVE TARIFF INCREASES HAD
BEEN MADE. HE MADE THE POINT THAT THEY HAD USED SLIDING SCALE
TARIFFS GIVING MAXIMUM IMPACT ON LOW PRICED GOODS.
2. LOCAL TEXTILE INDUSTRY IS UNLIKELY TO REACT. IT HAS FREQUENTLY
SOUGHT HIGHER TARIFF PROTECTION WHICH INEVITABLY INVOLVES HIGHER
TARIFF AGAINST US AND IN ANY CASE AUSTRALIAN COTTON TEXTILE EXPORTS
TO U K SEEM MINIMAL. THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT RISK WOULD SEEM TO BE
A POSSIBLE WEAKENING OF OUR POSITION IN OPPOSING FURTHER AUSTRALIAN
TARIFF INCREASES AND A PRECEDENT, FOR WHAT ITS WORTH, FOR EROSION
OF OUR PREFERENCES HERE. SIR C. JOHNSON
FILES
COMMODITIES DEPT.
S.W.P.D.
SOUTH ASIAN DEPT
N.A.C.D.
WEST AFRICAN DEPT.
EAST AFRICAN DEPT.
SOUTHERN EUROPEAN DEPT. HONG KONG DEPT.
G.S.A.D.
XXXXX
1907
KK
26/500/0
CONFIDENTIAL
7