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Protests at textile
BRITAIN
tariff
move
was severely associations to discuss the criticised for her de matter.
Britain's decision, it felt, cision to impose tariffs was motivated by the urgent on imports of Hongkong need to rescue Lancashire's cotton textiles by the textile industry from collaps- Chinese press this week, ing due to the increasing im- with one pointing to Lan- cashire as the "nigger in the woodpile."
the
While dismayed over London move, most of the newspapers called for ade- quate measures to be worked out to cope with the situation in 1972 when the tariffs would be enforced.
The newspapers also com- mented on education, school examinations and employment for young people.
Morally, Britain was in the wrong to add further restric- tions on Hongkong's textile goods, declared the Wab Klu Man Po.
Hongkong, it pointed out, did not impose any import restrictions on British goods, yet she was forced to volun- tarily limit her cotton goods to the U.K.
It felt that the tariffs would be more harmful to Hong- kong than the quote system which at least assured the Colony of a definite share in the UK. market.
The tariffs would deprive Hongkong of her competitive-
ness and in fact would not prove entirely advantageous to Britain because of their adverse effect
on all Commonwealth countries.
The sacrifice to be made for Lancashire was too great,
it said.
ports of textiles from abroad,
It was no longer practical for Hongkong to depend on preferential treatment and must stand on her own feet, said the New Life Evening Post.
There was little hope of Britain changing her mind on the matter of tariffs, it added, making it necessary for her "dependent" mentality.
to rid herself of Hongkong
It was difficult to assess at the moment to what extent the proposed tariffs would affect Hongkong, observed the Wah Kiu Yat Po.
com-
But these tariffs would undoubtedly lead to increased prices and affect the petitiveness of Hongkong pro- ducts in the U.K. market, it pointed out.
It was imperative, therefore, that the next two and a half years be intelligently used to prepare to cope with the situation that would arise in 1972, it said. Production and trading plans would have to be reviewed and realistically re-adjusted, it advised.
It suggested that emphasis should be concentrated on
quality in order to compete with Lancashire, Japan and the United States and on trimming of costs in pro- duction and management through more efficiency,
The
newspaper also stressed the need to create new markets, adding that the difficulties abead of were not insoluble.
The Sing Tao Wan Pro said that the adverse effect Britain's proposed tariffs in place of quotas on imports of Hongkong's cotton textile goods would be tremendous.
The textile industry, it stressed, should give serious attention to this proposal and take steps to cope with it.
Productivity must be rais- ed and quality improved to enable Hongkong's textiles to compete on equal terms with others in the U.K. market, it added.
Lancashire was the "nigger in the woodpile," it said, pointing out that the quota system was imposed on Hong- kong mainly to give Lanca- shire time to reorganise and #odernise itself.
But the way things were going Lancashire would, be- cause of its shortsightedness and lack of a progressive out- look, would still be crying for help even after Britain joined the Common Market, said the newspaper.
added
Britain, # unwise is apply tarifs to Honglong sextiles,
The Bang Po observed that although the tarifa would not come into feros until 1978, the SENOUNCEMELENTÉ nonetheless generated some pazić gades ad in the emergency resting of commercial and industr
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