TNAG-0173-FCO40-209-United-Kingdom-Productivity-and-Efficiency-Study-effect-on-H-1969 — Page 50

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the United Kingdom market. Cotton textiles produced in EFTA and the Irish Republic will continue to be duty free..

This tariff will be a new 'departure in our traditional relationship with the Commonwealth. However, the Government has made it clear that they do not intend to set a precedent for duties on other Commonwealth products. Cotton textiles have for many years been regarded internationally as a special case.

The intention is to extend the present quota controls, which ex- pire at the end of 1970, for the year 1971. On January 1, 1972, the quantitative restrictions would be replaced by the tariff on the Commonwealth. The coverage of the tariff will include developed Commonwealth countries not now subject to quota. On the other hand, the restrictions will be removed on imports from certain foreign countries, whose exports to the United Kingdom are at present subject to quotas as well as the tariff.

The Textile Council accepts that there can be no question of reimposing comprehensive quota controls, once the tariff comes into force. As the President said in the House, consideration would only be given to the reintroduction of quotas on particular products, under the international agreement on cotton textiles then in force, if total imports of cotton textiles rose significantly above the pre- sent level, and at the same time there was market disruption in these particular products.

The Textile Council is a statutory body set up under the Indus- trial Organization and Development Act 1947. It consists of repre- sentatives of both employers and employees in the industry and has three independent members, including Sir James Steel, the chair- man. The recommendations were based on the conclusions of the Textile Council's Report on Productivity and Efficiency. This study was undertaken at the request of the Board of Trade, The Report was published on March 31 and its conclusions were endorsed by the industry at the Nottingham Conference on April 18-20.

BOARD OF TRADE JOURNAL 30 JULY 1969

'Substantial increase in trade with Brazil'

277

- the President

'LAST YEAR saw a very substantial increase in the level of trade between this country and Brazil,' said Mr. Anthony Crosland, President of the Board of Trade, at the luncheon in London of the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Economic Affairs in Great Britain on July 24. 'Our exports went up from £20 million to £45 million, and Brazil became our largest customer in the whole of Latin America, And I am glad to say that this year the figures have been even better - comparing the first five months of this year with the same period last year, our exports have risen by a further 33 per cent. This is very encouraging progress, and shows that our neglect of the valuable and rapidly expanding Brazilian market is now becoming a thing of the past. But I am sure that we can do still better in the years ahead.

'In this upsurge of United Kingdom trade with Brazil, the Export Credits Guarantee Department has played a decisive part. Last year, for example, ECGD guaranteed a loan of almost £16 million to provide British marine equipment for 35 merchant ships to be built in Brazil's shipyards.

'There was also the loan up to £31 million - again dependent on an ECGD guarantee, to cover steelwork and construction ser- vices for the important Rio-Niteroi bridge. Then only last week an ECGD-backed loan agreement for £34 million was signed with Petrobras to supply British equipment, as well as engineering and construction services, for new oil installations and extensions of existing plant.

'These are just three striking examples of a massive though largely unseen operation for encouraging the flow of British goods to Brazil. They show that Britain can supply the goods Brazil needs on satisfactory terms.

(Continued on next page)

Cotton and Allied Textiles Industry Training Board reconstituted

MRS. BARBARA CASTLE, First Secretary and Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity, has reconstituted the Cotton and Allied Textiles Industry Training Board for a further three years from July 20. This is the Board's second term of office.

Mrs. Castle has reappointed Mr. J. M. H. Grey as chairman and named 19 other members. These include four new employer members: Mr. G. Battersby, chief executive, Combined English Mills (Spinners) Limited; Mr. P. A. Blamires, director, Brockle- hurst-Whiston Amalgamated Limited; Mr. J. R. Hunter, director; Bleachers' Association; and Mr. R. J. Kerr-Muir, director, Court- aulds Limited; and two new employee members: Mr. A. How- croft, general secretary, General Union of Associations of Loom Overlookers; and Mr. J. Madden, district organizer, National Union of Dyers, Bleachers and Textile Workers.

£23 MILLION CONTRACT FOR BRAZIL

New address for BoT Export Licensing Branch

THE NEW address of the Board of Trade's Export Licensing Branch is: Broadway Buildings, 54 Broadway, London, S.W.1 (Tel. 01- 222 7877).

'USING EFTA. To inform the EFTA businessman of his oppor tunities in the markets of the member countries, the EFTA Secretariat in Geneva has produced a 161-page book entitled ‘Using EFTA' which describes the conditions of the eight national markets and outlines briefly the procedures for claiming EFTA tariff treat- ment. Copies, together with other publications about EFTA (in- cluding the Secretariat's regular 'EFTA Bulletin'), can be obtained free of charge from the Board of Trade's EFTA Information Centre, 1 Victoria Street, London, S.W,1 (Tel, 01-222 7877, Ext. 2479/2480).

General Adolpho Dieguez, finance director of Petroleo Brasileiro SA (centre), signing a £23 million contract for equipment, and ser- vices for several major capital projects in Brazil with Brefcon International Limited, London. Brefcon chairman, Mr. J. H. N. Thompson (right) and managing director, Mr. J. L. Galloway (left) and Petrobras consultant, Dr. H. Lima Rocha (rear) look on. The Brefcon contract covers the supply of United Kingdom manufac- tured equipment plus a contribution towards local Brazilian costs and may include a 'turnkey' contract to engineer, construct and commission a steam power station of 22.5 MW capacity. The con- tract was the subject of the largest financial guarantee signed by the ECGD since the introduction of the facility in 1961 (see Board of Trade Journal July 23, page 205).