TNAG-0152-FCO40-188-Exports-of-cotton-textiles-to-Canada-1969 — Page 122

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Encl. 1

Section A C.T.A. Article 3

Cotton Apparel Agreement (Encl. 1)

Statistical position

Enols. 4 to 7

10.

Encl.

8

Encl.

9

Encl.

4

Encl.

5

Encl. 6

Encl. 9

(a) General

Enclosures 4 to 7 set out Hong Kong's share of the Canadian import market in the years 1967 and 1968. four restrained cotton garments and the share enjoyed by competitor countries, both restrained and unrestrained. Encl. 8 is a summary of Hong Kong's overall share of the Canadian cotton textile import market during the same period. Encl. 9 shows Hong Kong's export performance and the utili- sation of quotas during the first nine months of the current textile year ending 30th September, 1969, as compared with the performance in the same period last year.

11.

It will be noted that, in general, the utilisation of quota in the cotton apparel categories has been slightly lower this year than last year, the average utilisation during the first nine months being 76.9% as against 87.6% recorded during the same period last year. Past experience indicates that performance usually picks up towards the last months of the textile year, and it is anticipated that utilisation of the cotton garments quotas this year should be up to average.

(b) Woven Shirts

12.

Canadian production statistics of cotton woven shirts are not available. As indicated in Enclosure 4, Canadian import statistics show that in 1968 total imports and imports from Hong Kong both fell by 39% when compared with 1967. Hong Kong's share of the import market therefore remained static at 26%. This contraction of the import market for cotton shirts possibly reflects a continuing shift of consumer preference from cotton to shirts of blended fabrics, end particularly to permanent press shirts.

(c) Blouses

13.

As indicated in Enclosure 5, Canadian imports of cotton blouses declined by 51% in 1968 compared with 1967, while Hong Kong's share of imports increased by 19%. Hong Kong was the only exporter which did not experience a decline in volume.

14.

(d) Nightwear

Assessment of the market position with regard to cotton nightwear is complicated by the fact that Canadian statistics for total imports refer to nightwear of all fibres and not just cotton. Figures given at Enclosure 6 show that, while total consumption in 1968 increased by 11% over the previous year, Hong Kong's share increased from 22% to 24% of total imports. However, quota utilisation during the current year is running behind that of 1967/68 (see Encl. 9) and also at a much slower rate (only 50% of the quota has been shipped) when compared with other restrained items.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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