EXCLUSION OF TEXTILES
FROM THE UK'S OFFER IN THE UNCTAD GENERALISED PREFERENCE EXERCISE
38. In its provisional proposals tabled in November 1969, the UK made no offer on cotton textiles; on non-cotton textiles, it offered unlimited duty-free entry, subject to reciprocity on the part of the other major importing countries. This condition was not met. The USA excluded most textiles from its offer (and has since brought non-cotton as well as cotton textiles from the major low-cost suppliers under restraint). The EEC indicated that duty-free access for the more sensitive textiles would be limited by a duty-free quota system. There was reluctance on the part of both the USA and the EEC to include Hong Kong amongst the beneficiaries of their offers.
39. The revised UK submission tabled in OECD on 7 September 1970 pointed out that not only had the conditions of its original offer on non-cotton textiles regrettably not been met, but in the intervening period there had also been significant developments, some of them adverse Leg protectionist moves in the USA7 and likely To affect international trade in textiles. In these circumstances,, the UK had found it necessary to except non-cotton as well as cotton textiles generally from its offer, but was ready to reconsider this decision with a view to increasing the opportunities of the developing countries when the general outlook for international trade in this particular field had become clearer as a result of any further discussions which may take place eg in the GATT.
40. The only textiles remaining in the UK offer are carpets, woven jute fabric, twine, and a few other items of minor trade interest.
41. We shall not align to the EEC's version of the GSP (which currently includes limited duty-free entry for cotton textiles from certain countries) until 1 January 1974 by which time it will have to have been adapted to the situation of the enlarged Community.
ANTI-DUMPING APPLICATIONS ON TEXTILES
42.
Our textile industry has complained that our rules for anti- dumping action are too difficult for UK applicants and inappropriate for textiles, and that anyhow the UK abides by the rules in much "too gentlemanly" a way. There have in fact been only 12 applications for anti-dumping action on textiles since the Act was passed in 1957 - seven between 1958 and 1962, five in 1967/8 and none since then. No anti-dumping duties have ever been imposed, but in 3 cases (corduroy from Spain, spun rayon yarn from Austria and eighties square cotton fabric from Canada) the dumping was greatly reduced (rayon yarn) or eliminated (eighties square) following our investigations, so that our efforts helped our industry. (Courtaulds expressed appreciation of the way the rayon yarn and eighties square cases were dealt with.)
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