Co
The Chancellor
of the Exchequer
The Minister of
Trade
CONFIDENTIAL
MINUTE
The Secretary of State
The Prime Minister
TYPORT OF COTTON TEXTILES
ARTPES ON 1 JANUARY 1972
[Dand B]
1.
TRANITION PROM NOTAS TO
In April Vichael Moble and I asked Tony Barber
to agree to include in the Pirance Bil: & provocal to
relieve from duty, for the first 3 months or 1972,
importe of cotton textiles from develocirg countries in
the Commonwealth freference Axes, which are shipped under
quota in 1971 out do not arrive here anti. 1972.
2. While Tony Barber, in his letter of 17 Way to
Michael Noble, agreed that legislation would be desire-
wished able, he wreed to avoid a final commitment to the
introduction of the proposed clause until he could see
how the Committee Stape of the Finance Fill was going.
In a further letter from the Treasury of 11 June, we
I to agree have now heard that Treasury Ministers are unable
include the proposed clause.
3.
India, Pakistan and Hong Kong, as you know, have
@lways objected strongly to the decision to impose
duties on Commonwealth cotton textiles, and have claimed
that we have failed to take proper account of the
impact of that decision on their trade. I understand
that Willie Whitelaw cannot find time ir a special
CONFIDENTIAL.