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FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1977
IN THE CASE OF POLYESTER FILAMENT FABRICS, THE EVIDENCE PRODUCED FOR THE CONSULTATIONS IN MAY ACTUALLY SHOWED THERE HAD BEEN A SUBSTANTIAL DECLINE IN CANADIAN IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG IN 1976.
AS REGARDS BED SHEETS, MR. DORWARD SAID, IT WAS TRUE THAT CANADIAN IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG MORE THAN TREBLED IN 1976.
+ BUT CANADIAN PRODUCTION ALSO INCREASED THAT YEAR AND IT COULD NOT BE SHOWN THAT CANADIAN INDUSTRY HAD SUFFERED ANY DAMAGE. FURTHERMORE, IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG REPRESENTED LESS THAN 10 PER CENT OF TOTAL CANADIAN IMPORTS OF BED SHEETS FROM ALL SOURCES IN 1976 AND OUR SHARE OF THE CANADIAN MARKET WAS INSIGNIFICANT.
+EVEN IF THE CANADIAN MARKET HAD BEEN DISRUPTED, AND IN OUR VIEW IT HAD NOT, HONG KONG COULD NOT HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE+, MR. DORWARD ADDED.
UNDER THE RULES OF THE MFA THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT HAS TO NOTIFY THE TEXTILES SURVEILLANCE BODY (TSB) OF ITS DECISION AND THAT BODY IS REQUIRED PROMPTLY TO CONDUCT AN EXAMINATION OF THE MATTER AND TO MAKE APPROPRIATE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE PARTIES CONCERNED.
+NO DATE HAS YET BEEN FIXED FOR THE MEETING BUT WE ARE HOPING THAT THE CASE WILL BE CONSIDERED BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH, AND WE WILL BE REPRESENTED+, MR. DORWARD SAID.
IN THE MEANTIME, MR. DORWARD HAS NOTIFIED EXPORTERS OF THE CANADIAN ACTION.
THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO ISSUE EXPORT LICENCES FREELY BUT EXPORTERS ARE ADVISED THAT SUCH LICENCES WILL NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE GOODS WILL BE ADMITTED BY THE CANADIAN AUTHORITIES, THE DEPARTMENT POINTED OUT.
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