would expect the trade of developing countries to be
about the same or only marginally less than if the quotas
were retained, although with some re-distribution between
supplying countries.
(c) The proposed rates of duty are about 61 per cent for
yarn, 15 per cent for cloth and 17 per cent for most
kinds of garments. These rates are not far out of line
most other developed countries.
(a)
with those of the EEC and
We reserve the rights to re-impose quotas on particular
products from individual countries only if the level of
imports of cotton textiles, overall, increases above
present levels, causing disruption to our market on those
products.
(e) The UK quota system has been
(1)
(8)
strongly criticised by
many of the developing countries, including a number in
the Commonwealth Preference Area, because it discriminates
against countries which had not fully established
themselves in the market in 1962-64, the base period for
the quotas.
Cotton textiles are, by international consent, a special
case. We are not setting a precedent for tariffs on
other Commonwealth products.
The Textile Council is not just another trade association.
It is a Statutory Development Council set up under the
Industrial Reorganisation and Development Act, 1947, to
increase the productivity and efficiency of the industry.
It has an independent Chairman and two economists as
independent members - one of whom, Mrs. Miles has worked
at the U.N. on the problems of developing countries.
The Council's recommendation on the tariff was unanimous
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