CONTIA
Cutting dated
THE TIMES
23 JUL 1969
19
The origins of UK textile imports
Imports of textile yarn, fabrics, made-up articles etc. 1968
£m
EEC EFTAF
India
10
20
30
40!
50
60
Hongkong
Irish Rep.
USA
Pakistan
Canada
Other
Commonwealth
Other
Hongkong exporters are badly shaken
Hongkong, July 22.-The pro- posed new tariff has badly shaken Hongkong. Over the last decade, Hongkong, like India and Pakis- tan, has enjoyed duty-free but limited access to the British mar- ket for cotton textiles.
In 1968, these items accounted for almost a quarter of the colony's £92m. exports to Britain. Under a quota agreement with Britain which does not expire until the end of 1970. Hongkong can ship up to 190m, square yards a year.
The British Government would like to replace this quota with a 15 per cent tariff in the near future.
Hongkong industrialists have been angered by the failure of the Board of Trade to enter into the usual negotiations before making up its mind to alter the existing textile arrangements with the colony. They are also predicting that the Commonwealth's share of the British market will be taken over by Britain's Efta partners.
Hongkong exporters also fore- cast that with the ending of the quota system Britain will be open to cut-throat competition between the current Commonwealth sup- pliers and manufacturers in Taiwan and South Korea who do not have free access to the British market under the present system.
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