6
ON
WEDNESDAY, KARCE 25, 191
* THE MFA WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO DEAL WITH THE FRAUDULENT LABELLING IN EEC COUNTRIES OF TEXTILE PRODUCTS MADE IN EASTERN EUROPE PARTICULARLY THOSE IMPORTED INTO AND FREELY CIRCULATED WITHIN THE EEC UNDER SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS.
* THE MFA WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO DEAL WITH
PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THE SUBS ID ISATION OF THE EXPORT PRICES OF, SAY, AMERICAN STAPLE FIBRES- NOR WITH THE DUMPING OF ARTIFICIALLY LOW-PRICED PRODUCTS.
* THE MFA IS AN INSTRUMENT FOR REGULATING
WORLD TRADE IN TEXTILE PRODUCTS, BUT IT IS MOST DECIDEDLY NOT A VEHICLE FOR ACHIEVING SOCIAL JUSTICE.
* THE MFA IS BEING BLAMED FOR NOT HELP ING
ARREST DECLINING EMPLOYMENT AND DECLINING PROFITABILITY IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRIES OF THE MAJOR IMPORTING COUNTRIES.
*
INDUSTRIAL PROTECTIONISTS ARE ARGUING THAT THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM EXTERNAL COMPETITION.
+BUT WHAT THEY HAVE PATENTLY FAILED TO PERCEIVE IS THAT THE MFA HAS BEEN APPLIED WHOLLY AND EXCLUSIVELY AGAINST THE EXPORTS OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND THEIR DIFFICULTIES HAVE MUCH WIDER ORIGINS, + DR TIEN NOTED.
THE SECOND CATEGORY OF ISSUES, HE WENT ON, ARE PERTINENT TO THE FUTURE OF THE MFA.
THE DEMANDS OF THE LABOUR AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS OF THE MAJOR IMPORTING COUNTRIES CAN BE SUMMARISED IN THREE MAIN POINTS: THE APPLICATION OF +GLOBAL ISATION, THE RE-DISTRIBUTION OF QUOTAS IN FAVOUR OF THE NEW AND SMALL DEVELOPING COUNTRY SUPPLIERS, AND THE GROWTH RATE OF THE IR IMPORTS FROM THE DEVELOPING WORLD SHOULD BE RELATED TO THEIR ESTIMATION OF THE GROWTH RATE OF CONSUMPTION IN THE IR DOMESTIC COUNTRIES.
ON GLOBAL ISATION, HE POINTED OUT THE TERM ITSELF IS A MYTH. WE ALL KNOW IT REALLY MEANS THE APPLICATION OF THE MFA TO THE EXPORTS OF THE DEVELOPING WORLD ONLY,
+ IT IS NOT AS IT SHOULD BE, UNDER ARTICLE 19 OF THE GATT, DESIGNED TO OPERATE ON A TRULY WORLD-WIDE BAS 15.
+SUCH A POLICY WILL NOT HELP THE MAJOR IMPORTING COUNTRIES TO OVERCOME COMPETITION FROM OTHER, MORE EFFICIENT, DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.+
TURNING TO RE-DISTRIBUTION OF TEXTILE QUOTAS, DR TIEN QUER IED: IF THE IR PROPOSAL IS TO RE-DISTRIBUTE QUOTAS IN THE PIOUS BELIEF THAT DEVELOPED IMPORTING COUNTRIES AND DEVELOP ING EXPORTING COUNTRIES STAND IN A DONOR/BENEFICIARY RELATIONSHIP, THEN WHY HAVE QUOTAS AT ALL?
/+I