3-
7.
Against such a history and these extremely low growth rates, I need not tell you that it is the Hong Kong industry's firm belief that any difficulties which the UK industry may have experienced and
And in this may be undergoing cannot be attributed to Hong Kong. respect we have noted recently the increasingly successful performance of major UK textiles firms at a time when our own exports to this
In spite of this, however, as country have been in sharp decline. far as we are aware it is the UK Government's stated policy in Parliament to seek modifications to the MFA which if adopted would have serious consequences damaging to Hong Kong's interests. concern became even greater when we learnt that some of these policies had gained wide support within the EEC and might in fact be adopted to Hong Kong's greater detriment.
Our
8.
I
I need not go into detailed arguments of why we think policies such as "globalisation" will not help the UK industry. need only briefly say that if such global quotas are applied only to low-cost suppliers, the UK industry will not obtain the protection that it is seeking, because about 60% by value of the UK's total imports of textiles and clothing comes from other members of the EEC, the EFIA countries and other developed countries and about 40% by value of the UK's total clothing imports come from these
developed countries.
9.
We shall not, and indeed we are not in a position to, question the UK industry's need for protection or increased protectio
I would only wish This is entirely a matter for the UK Government. to note that in the first quarter of 1977, British exports of textiles and clothing as a whole increased in value by 61%. Considering that these increases come on top of a 40% increase in
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