TNAG-0144-FCO40-180-Exports-of-textiles-to-United-States-of-America-1969 — Page 103

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in the US textiles industry in detail, came to the

conclusion that the American textiles and clothing industry

may be considered sound despite an increase in imports (with

a corresponding increase in domestic consumption). In the

previous year, the Commission did not recommend any import

restrictions.

b) The American Imports Association (Textile Group) gives the

following comment:

-

During the period between 1961 and 1968, the internal

production of textile products and imports, generally

speaking, developed along parallel lines. The year 1969

will probably be a new peak year for the US textiles

industry.

The only sales difficulties are in certain fields (sweaters

and certain types of shirt), which would not justify any

global restrictions on exports.

The introduction of export restrictions in the U.S.A. would

tend to amount to a realization of pre-election promises

(given to the Southern States, in particular) than an

overcoming of real economic difficulties ("no economic

case").

The new U.S.Administration needs international negotiations

in order to demonstrate its good-will to the Congress and

textiles industry.

Moreover, in the case of a failure of the international

negotiations on national restrictions on exports, the U.S.

Government would be determined to block the motions for im-

port quotas in Congress (because of the danger of creating

a precedent for other fields of industry).

Owing to the instability of the private Agreement on the