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Consultations with Indian Officials at DTI, 5 May 1971 "Sir Max Brown explained that HMG's decision to impose tariffs in place of quotas, dictated by domestic and international difficulties, had been taken after careful consideration of all possible alternatives. It was not HMG's objective to provide the British industry with increased protection, but to give it a normal level of protection by way of tariffs which would allow it to develop in those areas in which it was viable. The present system operated against the interests of the developing countries and there was evidence to show that some developed. countries had profited at their expense. The new system was more liberal than those in operation in other countries and would provide opportunities to the developing countries, including India, for increasing their exports."
Sir Max Brown: "If we did go into the EEC we would not be required to adapt to their system until 1974 at the earliest and even then possibly on a progressive scale. In the meantime the Long Term Agreement would have expired and the new policy of the enlarged FRC could be one which would not give rise to any great problems of harmonisation."
"It was difficult to forecast future developments in the cotton textile industry. but present estimates were that it was unlikely that there would be any great increase in total imports. Quotas were at present under-utilised and it was hardly likely that there was any significant unsatisfied demand."
"We did not consider that it would be necessary to reimpose quotas, and as the original announcement had stated, this would only be done if imports rose overall and this caused disruption in particular sectors."
"We were persuaded that the sort of protection the UK industry needed was that given by the tariff: this helped to create price stability. Moreover, we were moving into
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