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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1979
GOVT TO ANALYSE EEC IMPORT STATISTICS
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THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, THE HON. DAVID JORDAN, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ANALYSE THE IMPORT STATISTICS FOR THE WHOLE EEC TO DECIDE WHAT FORMAL REPRESENTATIONS SHOULD BE MADE TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO PRESS FOR A REVIEW OF THE HONG KONG-EEC TEXTILE AGREEMENT.
IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS FROM THE HON. FRANCIS TIEN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. JORDAN SAID THE 1978 IMPORT STATISTICS FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM TENDED TO PROVIDE THE CONFIRMATION SOUGHT BY MR. TIEN THAT CUT-BACKS ON EEC TEXTILE QUOTAS IMPOSED ON HONG KONG IN 1977 TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES HAD, IN FACT, BEEN TAKEN UP BY OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND, IN FACT, BY OTHER MEMBER STATES OF THE EEC.
MR. JORDAN SAID THAT ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, BRITISH IMPORTS OF TEXTILES AND CLOTHING, WHICH HAD INCREASED BY ONLY 291 MILLION POUNDS STERLING IN 1977, INCREASED BY 490 MILLION POUNDS STERLING IN 1978, THE FIRST YEAR OF APPLICATION OF THE NEW POLICY.
+THE LION'S SHARE OF THAT INCREASE - JUST UNDER 80 PER CENT OF IT WAS TAKEN UP BY OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND THE MEDITERRANEAN ASSOCIATES OF THE EEC. THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES' SHARE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM IMPORT MARKET DROPPED FROM 33 PER CENT TO 30 PER CENT, HE SAID.
IN VALUE TERMS, MR. JORDAN ADDED, IMPORTS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES INCREASED BY 16 PER CENT FROM 618 MILLION POUNDS STERLING TO 715 MILLION POUNDS STERLING BUT FROM THE OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND THOSE MEDITERRANEAN ASSOCIATES IMPORTS INCREASED TWICE AS FAST, FROM 1,205 MILLION POUNDS STERLING TO 1,590 MILLION POUNDS STERLING.
+SEVENTY PER CENT OF THIS INCREASE CAME FROM OTHER MEMBER STATES OF THE EEC,+ HE SAID.
DURING THE SAME YEAR, THE UNITED KINGDOM PRODUCTION INDEXES FOR BOTH TEXTILES AND CLOTHING HARDLY MOVED.
+SO IT SEEMS FAIR TO SAY THAT, AT LEAST IN THIS FIRST YEAR, THE CUTBACKS ON HONG KONG HAVE NOT BENEFITTED THE UK INDUSTRY AND THAT THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND THE MEDITERRANEAN ASSOCIATES ARE IN THE BRITISH MARKET THE PRINCIPAL BENEFICIARIES OF THE COMMUNITY'S TEXTILE POLICY, MR. JORDAN SAID.
MR. JORDAN SAID THAT WHEN HE WAS IN LONDON IN MARCH THIS YEAR HE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO DRAW THESE FIGURES TO THE ATTENTION OF MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, OFFICIALS AND OTHERS. + DREW THE CONCLUSION THAT THEY ALREADY JUSTIFIED A REVIEW,+ HE SAID.
/+HOWEVER,