DEPARTMENT OF TRADE
1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET Telephone 01-215 5593/5995 or 5997
Ref: 363
Press notice
BRITISH TEXTILE INDUSTRY
December 20 197? December
N Thompson √35712.
A far greater measure of protection from new MFA, says Mr Dell
The British textile industry will receive a far greater measure of protection
from the new MFA for the next five years than has been possible in the past, said
Mr Edmund Dell, Secretary of State for Trade, in Brussels today.
In a statement at the conclusion of EEC talks, Mr Dell said:
"Today the EEC Council agreed that the Community should renew the MFA. The
Council also approved the terms of the bilateral agreement negotiated with 31 supplier
countries which will now be finalised. The Community's application of the MFA to. thes
countries is dependent on the signature of these agreements.
"This means that the British textile industry will receive a far greater measure
of protection for the next five years than has been possible in the past.
"Overnight we received from the Commission the clarification we required about
their negotiations and the share of the imports that the UK will be required to take.
We were, of course, not alone in seeking such clarification.
"We have obtained very tight restrictions on more than 20 sensitive products,
representing about 75 per cent of UK imports, and satisfactory restraints on effective
all other sensitive products.
"We have also obtained effective trigger mechanisms which will prevent any new
products now unrestricted from swamping UK markets.
"I believe this new MFA will prove an historic turning point in the fortunes of
the UK textile and clothing industries.