both in coverage, to products for which the need could be
established, and in duration, for the period necessary to achieve
the stated objective. We remain ready to consider quantitative
restraints in such circumstances.
on our European partners.
We are urging similar policies
Against this background I reach the conclusion after a most
thorough and sympathetic reflection on the knitting industries
case that we would not be justified in seeking restraints from
Hong Kong and Taiwan at the present time. The following are my
main reasons:
a
There is little evidence of disruption from
imports of the market for knitted outer and
underwear as a whole. Apart from 3 products
weft knitted cotton shirts, children's
underwear, and jumpers, cardigans etc - import
penetration from all sources is quite low.
Against the policy summarised above we would
not be justified in introducing restraints
against the possibility that imports night at
some future time rise to disruptive levels,
though if they did we would of course be ready
to consider restraints under the criteria I
have described.
b
Imports of shirts and children's underwear
have reached a high proportion of UK consumption,
the
especially in/former case. But in both cases UK
production appears to have been maintained over
the past 3 years. It seems from the rapid growth
the
of both imports and/consumption of wert knitted
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